Yeah, okay, its been a lot of time since I've updated this….I am honestly sorry, but with college stuff and then not having internet while in Mexico with my parents…..I was like….I'm really sorry, but here is the second to last chapter and the last chapter is right after is….figured I would post both of them up right now and finally finish this story…_
Once again, sorry for keeping this unfinished for so long!! Especially since I have the chapters all done!! Please forgive me!!
Enjoy!!
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Resorting to Hope
…………………….

"Sora!!"

"Riku!"

"Kairi!"

"LEON!!!" Cloud called out as he rushed into the room. He winced and raised his arm up, his eyes hurting from the intensity of the light.

"What's going on?" Sephiroth snapped as he helped Aerith up the stairs.

"What is with the light?" Cid huffed, closing his eyes as the light became even more intense.

"I don't know….but it may…" Tifa trailed off.

"Explode." Aerith whispered.

"No! Last resort!" Cloud hissed, but all of the sudden there was a sudden release of energy.

Every one stumbled back, falling to the ground by the intensity of the energy.

………………….

Cloud heard a few groans.

"Okay, my head is killing me." Cid grumbled as he began to sit up.

"What happened?" Aerith muttered, rubbing her eyes to make the spots go away from her sight.

"We were knocked unconscious by the blast, apparently." Sephiroth sighed, rubbing his head as well.

"What a blast it was." Yuffie huffed, standing up.

"And it came up from in there." Vincent muttered, helping Cid up. Cloud scrambled to his feet and rushed into the room. Every one followed.

"Sora!" Aerith cried out, rushing over to the boy, lying on the ground.

"Kairi!" Tifa kneeled next to the redhead girl.

"Riku?" Yuffie squatted next to the silver haired boy.

"My head." Sora groaned, and with Aerith's help he sat up. Kairi rolled to her back, eyes slowly opening.

"Why is it so bright?" Riku groaned from next to Sora.

"I don't know." Cloud muttered as he squinted, trying his best to look through all the light. Slowly, but surely, it began to dim down to normal.

"LEON!!" Cloud's heart stopped as he saw a still form lying not far. He rushed over, dropping down next to the still figure.

"Leon?" Cloud turned him over and into his arms.

"Is he okay?" Sora asked brokenly as he hopped over to Cloud's side.

"Leon, wake up. Come on." Cloud shook Leon, gently at first, before becoming more desperate.

"You guys made it…." Demyx appeared, cloaked ripped up a bit. He looked over at Cloud, before taking a step back in shock.

"Leon?" Demyx whispered, eyes watering.

"All of the worlds…" Axel appeared but stopped when he saw Leon's stilled body.

"No! NO!" Demyx cried out, rushing to Leon's side.

"He can't be dead!" Demyx cried. Axel walked over and pulled Demyx into his arms and away from Cloud and Leon.

Sora stood there, frozen on the spot. He didn't say anything when Kairi and Riku hugged him. Cid hid his head in Vincent's chest, unable to look at the scene. Sephiroth just looked on, unmoving. Aerith, Tifa and Yuffie had no idea what to say or do, they couldn't grasp the fact that Leon was gone.

"Leon, please…..wake up…." Cloud choked out, brokenly. His whole body was shaking with his sobs. He buried his face in Leon's neck, sobs muffled.

The ground began to shake.

"The castle is beginning to crumble down." Zexion appeared, coat also a bit ripped.

"You guys need to get out of the World that Never Was." Marluxia appeared, looking at them hastily before stopping in his tracks at the sight of Cloud and Leon.

"We have to go." Sephiroth snapped out of it at the sound of that voice.

"Xehanort!" Sephiroth reached over and crashed him into his arms.

"We have to go. Now!" Saix appeared.

"I'm not leaving." Cloud hissed, not looking up from Leon.

"Bring the body with you if you want, just don't let his death be in vain." Saix sneered. Sephiroth took hold of Kairi and Riku, trudging them away. Vincent pushed Cid and Yuffie away as well. Tifa was crying but she wrapped an arm around Aerith's shoulders and led her away.

"Cloud!" Sora called, tugging on Cloud. Cloud tensed up, but stood up, Leon in his arms. He didn't say anything and did not look at anyone. He just walked silently down the stairs.

Demyx was in no better mood. Axel dragged him along as best as he could.

"How you guys manage to get out?" Sephiroth asked Xehanort as they ran down the stars.

"We are dead, Sephiroth. Roxas and Namine are back in the mansion in Twilight Town. They are fine as well." Xehanort muttered, eyes downcast as he glanced here and there at Cloud with Leon.

………………………………

Roxas began pacing, out in the grass. Namine sighed as she watched Roxas pace. She looked down at her now gray clothes. She wasn't quite sure how they made it out, but she knew it had to do with the others.

"Roxas, I bet every one is fine." Namine spoke, trying to sound confident even if her heart was clenching in fear as well.

"Where did the others go anyhow?" Roxas huffed.

"They went to do their job, watch, check on the other worlds." Namine explained.

All of the sudden, there was the sound of footsteps. Namine stood up and stood next to Roxas, waiting.

The rest ran out, gasping for air.

Roxas' and Namine's eyes zoned in on Cloud and his carefully held bundle.

"Leon?" Namine choked out a sob.

"He's sleeping right?" She asked them. No one responded. Cloud walked a few more steps, before crumbling down to the ground. Demyx was silent, holding tightly to Axel's coat.

Cloud looked down at Leon. He smiled through his tears. He caressed the cold cheek, the silky hair. He couldn't believe Leon was gone.

"I never got the chance to tell you." He whispered, looking longingly at Leon.

"Now you are gone, and it does not really matter does it?" Cloud muttered, bending down, lips close to Leon's.

"I love you." Cloud muttered, pressing his lips softly to Leon's.

"I'll miss you." Cloud whispered, pulling back.

"He'll miss you too." Cloud looked up while every one else whirled around.

There stood Quistis, Seifer, Selphie, Irvine, Rinoa and Zell.

"We defeated Ultimecia, but Seifer and Selphie died. Luckily, they became guardians." Quistis smiled sadly.

"We felt the energy, the boost of light. We figured what had happened." Seifer sighed, looking down at Leon.

"He's not coming back?" Cloud choked out.

Quistis couldn't bear to see him like that, his eyes bloodshot, tears streaming down his cheeks and the raw pain obvious in his tone of voice.

She bit her lip and looked at the others.

"We did enough, Quisty." Seifer spoke up, a bit uncomfortable.

"Look at him! He's hurting!" Rinoa glared at him.

"Yes, but what if we are wrong?" Irvine frowned, chewing on his bottom lip worriedly.

"It can alleviate some pain for them." Selphie piped up.

"What are you guys talking about?!" Demyx snapped, not in the mood for games.

"What they are not sure of, is to tell you or not." Xigbar appeared, frown on his face.

They looked from Xigbar to the SEED group.

"Tell us what?" Sora said, aggravated.

"Light never dies." Xigbar muttered, shooting a look at the others, before disappearing.

"I think that means we can tell them." Quistis smirked triumphantly.

"TELL US WHAT?!" Cloud snarled, placing Leon down and standing up.

"Look, the light never dies. The universe needs the light, and so they get umm…" Rinoa frowned, not finding the right word.

"Not reborn, because they don't become babies, but recharged you could say." Quistis finished for Rinoa.

"What are you saying?" Sephiroth frowned.

"Squall needs a recharge." Seifer replied simply. Cloud glared at them and turned around to see…nothing!

"Where is he!" Cloud grabbed hold of Seifer, the closest to him.

"He's not there! But Cloud had placed him there!" Yuffie cried out.

"He's back home, getting rested and recharged." Seifer hissed, pushing Cloud off.

"What do you mean?! You are not making sense!" Cloud snarled.

"Look, Squall's body has gone back home, to Radiant Garden. There he will rest and suck up light until he's able to wake up. He is not really dead." Quistis stepped up and placed a comforting hand on Cloud's shoulder.

"Why didn't you say that before?" Cloud asked, looking suspiciously at them.

"Because we are not sure if it is truth, and how long exactly it takes for a person to wake up." Quistis replied, apologetically.

"But there is a chance?" Kairi asked, hopefully.

"Yes, all you got to do is go back to Radiant Garden and find him." Seifer winked at them, before slowly vanishing.

"We have to go, all the world's have gone back to normal, and so we have a lot of work." Rinoa smiled apologetically, before vanishing along with the rest.

"Cloud?" Tifa turned to Cloud.

"Let's go back to Radiant Garden." He muttered, turning around and walking off, back towards the ship.

……………………………………….

Cloud sighed as he sat on the bed in the cabin Leon and he had slept in.

He hoped Quistis was right. He couldn't live without Leon. Some thing was telling him that Leon was fine. He couldn't allow his hopes to get high, because the pain of disappointment was a lot worst. But, he couldn't help hoping, hoping to see Leon smile again, laugh, talk, be alive.

"I'll catch up to you, Leon. I promised."

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To be continued…..

on to the last chapter!!