AN: So I finally wrote this just so I could have an update. It's a bit of a filler. There's about two chapters left. Hopefuly this shows up, but ziggurat8992[Place dot here]tumblr[Place dot here]com will take you to my tumblr page where you'll find the pics to all the OC's in the story. Good luck!

Chapter 22: Final Battle's Eve

Leona stared up into the clear sky desperately trying to curb her frantic nerves. Tomorrow would be the day in which she would attack someone dear to her. She thought back to the day she'd first met him, the easy conversation they had, and the way he constantly teased her because of her social status. He was really the first person her age who she hadn't minded hanging around. He was stubborn, clever, thoughtful, a natural born leader. It was easy for her to put her trust in him...at least initially. She'd only glimpsed his true self before Arcangela got her claws into him, tearing him apart from the inside out.

How much pain had he been in? As he smiled and joked around with everyone else, how much had he been crying on the inside? He hid his pain quite expertly while nightmares gripped him and stole his precious sleep. She only wished that she'd been more proactive. Perhaps they wouldn't be here now. The adults would have known something was up, they could have watched him more closely, figured something out. But as her mother would say, there was no use crying over spilled milk and tomorrow would be her chance to correct the mistakes of the past.

She heard small footsteps behind her and knew instinctively that it was Cathe as she carefully sat down beside her. Leona glanced towards her. Seemed like she wasn't the only one in a pensive mood today. She seemed a bit sweated as well like she'd just come from doing something extraneous.

"You look really comfortable," Cathe commented, "Wish I could manage to look that way."

Leona shook her head. "That's just because I'm no good at expressing myself. Don't be fooled. I'm worried sick."

"Yeah? But you do it so elegantly," Cathe said with a grin which drew a raised eyebrow from Leona.

Cathe attempted to imitate the other but far too dramatically as she placed the back of her hand on her forehead with eyelids half-closed. "I'm faaar too confident to even begin to think about tomorrow. Think I'll just lie here while the rest of the world worries over nothing." She tried to gracefully lie back on the ground, but wound up falling backwards since her legs had been crossed and unprepared.

Her antics drew only a small grin from her and laughter from the other as she joined her lying on the grass.

"So what's everyone else doing?" Leona asked after a moment.

"Well, Cecil was training like crazy and as usual dragged me into it as well. If Dad was there, she probably wouldn't have been that brutal...But he wasn't there to moderate so Zeph had to knock her down a few pegs. Much as I love Cecil...sometimes she can be a bit much."

"Even to you?" Leona asked. She suspected that Cecil had a soft spot for Cathe and only for her.

"Especially to me, especially her weakling sister."

"She doesn't think that," Leona said.

"But she said it clear as day. She doesn't hold back. I can't us magic like you, I can't use a sword like half the people in my family, I chose archery and it's not exactly known for it's strength."

"We need an archer like you. We have enough sword-wielders. A precision fighter like you is just as important as anyone else. You can get people out of jams, dole out ailments to the other monsters to make them more vulnerable to everyone else. Something tells me we'll need support like that."

"Thank you, Leona...And since you said it, it has to at least make sense, right?"

"You're welcome," Leona said with a quick nod. "I remember when we were fighting your father. He was much more powerful than any of us. Had you not been there, things could have turned out much differently."

"But you stalled him," Cathe reminded her.

"And it would have been for naught had no one stepped up and taken advantage of the situation."

"Then it was both of us working together!" Cathe said with a smile.

"Yes," Leona agreed, a slight smile gracing her lips. "So you and Cecil were training," Leona said drawing the other back to the other topic.

"Along with Zeph. Eros was...doing what he does best. His answer to anything mildly stressful."

"What do you mean?" Leona asked.

"You can't still be confused," Cathe said a little exasperatedly, "Filling his time with the opposite sex. Sometimes I wonder how he had time to even train to use that sword in the first place."

"Oh..." Leona said thinking of that time at the birthday party.

"Ludovic was attached to Mom's hip and Mom was with Dad all day."

"Hmm...I don't get it. How did he and your mom subdue him like that all by themselves?" Leona asked intrigued.

"Mom isn't much of a fighter. They said that back when she had her exsphere, she had these wings and all these angelic powers, but not anymore. She probably just went because she honestly thought she could talk some sense into Lloyd...or die trying. The reason I wasn't worried was because Ludovic was there and I've never seen anyone fight as well as he can. I saw Dad and Ludovic training, more like spied them and it looked like Dad was having trouble keeping up with him. I couldn't believe my eyes! No one's more powerful than my dad. So I told Cecil and Lucas who didn't believe me. You see, Dad trained them all separately so no one ever knows how well the other is doing. 'Course Cecil fights everyone so it's not that hard to figure out, but Ludovic keeps to himself all the time. He's shy and he like to draw things and write things aaaand he really, really, really likes Mom and he doesn't care if other people see."

Leona knew the other was about to go on a tangent, but she listened anyway. It wasn't often she got to hear about Ludovic.

"People used to pick at him all the time at school, called him a Momma's Boy. He is, but it's kinda rude to say, you know? Lucas only had to see that happen once and he pummeled all the bullies who so much as looked at him wrong. Ludovic was so upset when he did that, that he actually took a page out of Cecil's book and challenged him to a fight. Lucas didn't take it seriously at first, claiming Ludovic was just too worked up and he'd get over it. Ludovic was persistant though and kept hounding him until Lucas finally accepted it just so he could get it over with. Cecil had been there, along with me and Linus. It was a big thing-Ludovic never does things like that.

"Lucas wanted to go easy on him, but immediately after the fight began Ludovic had him on the defensive. The fight was short lived even when Lucas got serious. Lucas was taller and physically stronger than Ludovic, but Ludovic's skills with the sword trumped him and he was way more agile. Ludovic took him down in no time flat and we were all stunned! When Ludovic had those swords in his hand, he turned into something unrecognizable. After that...well, Lucas kept challenging him to fights, but Ludovic wouldn't fight him unless it was for a good reason so Lucas started making all these crazy bets-

"Wait a minute," Leona said as something clicked in her head, "That's why Lucas lost a bet against Ludovic...from fighting. I would never have guessed."

"Yep," Cathe said with a chiefly nod. "And Cecil doesn't even bother with all that. She just wants to beat Lucas."

"And has she?" Leona asked.

"Not yet..." Cathe said, "But I'd say she's pretty even with him, she just keeps losing her cool everytime she fights him so Lucas always has an advantage."

"If we face Lucas tomorrow...

"Don't worry, Lucas is for you. Cecil promised me she wouldn't do anything stupid."

"Either way, I want to get it over with quickly so we won't have too much chance for failure."

"Of course we won't fail-the adults will be there too: Sheena, Zelos..."

"And that's it. The rest are incapacitated."

"Yeah...kinda sucks. You won't believe this, but I saw Zelos training with Ms. Sheena."

"Zelos?" Leona asked a little concerned. She remembered the fight she had with Uncle Genis and Aunt Presea, it had not been a walk in the park for Zelos. He was in shambles only minutes into the fight. He had been so exhausted that he had passed out from the effort. She silently wished that he would just stay behind-he would be someone for her to worry about as she took on Lucas.

"Yep, and they seemed to be having fun."

"Well...it's better than arguing."

"Not always. Even my parents argue-it's a healthy part of a relationship. So, Zeph's parents argue a lot and they still like each so that means they must have a really healthy relationship."

"Cathe...you stopped making sense again," Leona said shaking her head.

"Really?" Cathe said, "Well, I do that sometimes."

"I've never seen my parents argue," Leona said, "And they have a healthy relationship."

"Do they?" Cathe asked.

Leona glanced at the other. "Of course." She didn't want to go into detail about her nightly visits downstairs to her parents' activities. Not that they'd stay up late every night, but at least once a week she'd find them.

But who was she to say what was healthy and what was not? Maybe they did argue just not in front of her. It would be just like them to hide such things from her. Cathe probably knew more about her family than she did hers, but that was the way of things. It was likely to remain that way. Cathe and her siblings had a closeness about their family that Leona didn't always feel she had with hers. She was always just above the surface with them. There were always things that they kept from her and she suspected that they did the same thing with each other. Even her father who she was closer to than her mother, had his own secrets.

"My Dad told me that rest is just as important as training," Leona said, "So that's why I'm going to take it easy today. Besides, I already know what I have to do."

"With you, I know we have nothing to worry about," Cathe said.

They didn't know exactly where everything would occur tomorrow, but Sheena had reassured them that her forces were tracking him steadily today. With the swiftness of the Rheairds, wherever he was they would be there to meet him. Arcangela was a different story, but it was believed that wherever Lucas was, Arcangela wouldn't be far behind. Once Lucas was in danger, they were expecting Arcangela to show herself and this time, they would be ready.

After a while, Cathe had left her to herself and Leona thought it would be a good idea to get an update on how everyone else was doing. They were currently in Mizuho, a village that ran differently from the world and at a slower pace. It was the perfect place to put one's mind at ease.

The clinking of metal against metal however was jarring enough to snatch her out of her reverie. Away from where people were walking, behind a rather large tree, Leona could make out two people fighting each other in earnest. As she moved closer, she knew it was Cecil and Zeph. Cathe had mentioned they'd be training.

They appeared evenly matched. Despite Cecil's aggressiveness, Zeph seemed to be holding his own. He parried her fervent attacks with equal determination and retaliated with his own swooping, elegant ones. Leona found herself rooting for Zeph. She always imagined that Cecil could wipe the floor of any of her opponents and clearly she was becoming more and more frustrated as the duel progressed. Zeph seemed prepared for the other at any angle as she tried to break through his compex defenses.

"Geez, woman, you don't let anyone breathe. I thought we were sparring not actually fighting," Zeph complained when he caused her to back off with a frenzied attack of his own.

"I don't see the difference. How are we supposed to prepare for a real fight if I'm going easy on you."

"Valid point," Zeph said, "But all this preparation will be for nothing if you manage to injure me."

"That's what apple gels are for. Now focus!" Cecil shouted before she was advancing towards him again with surprising speed.

It was obvious that Zeph was not prepared for the sudden burst of speed and could not bring his defenses up enough to fully block her next striking attack. Zeph fell to the ground in obvious pain. After executing her latest attack, she was still turned away from the other.

"I was going easy on you. Usually, that particular move would have left you sliced in half."

"How thoughtful," Zeph managed to say through gritted teeth as he slowly sat up.

"You're slacking, Zeph; you should have already consumed an apple gel and been attacking me again. Enemies don't wait for you to lick your wounds."

"I know-I'm calling it quits for the day," Zeph said, Leona watched as Zeph took a longer look at the wound he'd been given. It was already beginning to turn the front side of his kimono red. He took an apple gel and the redness ceased its spreading. "Apple gels might heal you, but they do nothing for the pain...And that was a pretty deep cut."

"Is that complaining I hear? You'll get a lot less sympathy from your opponents. In case you noticed, we won't have any healers around to hold your hand, you're on your own when it comes to your wellness."

"Yes, I suppose so," Zeph said climbing to his feet slowly.

He did, in fact, look spent. It was then that Leona made herself known as she came from behind the tree.

"Great fight you two even though I came at the tail end," Leona said to the two combatants.

"Really?" Zeph asked with a smile, "And here I thought I was failing miserably."

"You were," Cecil declared as she turned to the two, "But you've improved. I see going to those tournaments have proved beneficial. Last time we fought you were hardly an adequate spar partner."

Zeph laughed, "I remember that time. You challenged me quite some time ago and I didn't think you were serious-I mean, who goes around doing things like that?"

"You had a sword and I wanted to see if you could use it. Clearly you couldn't," Cecil proclaimed.

"Clearly, I'd not fought a person quite like her. Dad 'trained' us, but not that intensively. He made sure we knew technique because he believes that to be the most important. The rest, he said, comes with practice and experience."

"That sounds just like him," Leona said. She couldn't imagine someone as laid back as Zelos seriously training someone else. That he knew how to wield a sword was a conundrum in itself. Leona wondered what kind of student he'd been in the past.

"And," Zeph continued, "She tried to challenge Eros, but he ignored her. Well," Zeph said thoughtfully, "I suppose 'ignore' is the wrong word."

"Shut-up!" Cecil shouted though her cheeks had become rosy, "It's not an experience I'd like to hear spoken out loud. But," she said looking away, "he's surprisingly quick on his feet and that's advantageous in battle."

"Hm, I wonder where he is now? I haven't seen him all day," Zeph said casually, but something told Leona that it was specifically for Cecil's sake.

"Where is that bastard," Cecil growled, "I bet I know what he's doing-or more like who. I swear I'll drag him out on his ass if I find him!" She declared loudly as she marched off into the village, emotions high.

Leona looked on in a confused manner and then back at Zeph who had a grin on his face.

"That would be called siccing Cecil on Eros."

"How exactly does that work," Leona asked curiously.

The two of them had begun to walk forth on a well beaten path that went across the main part of the village. They walked at a leisurely pace.

"You see, it all started out when Eros asked Cecil out on a date."

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised," Leona said, "Then Cecil outright refused him, right?"

"You're getting pretty good at this-yep, she did and then proceeded to beating the crap out of him."

"That sounds a bit extreme," Leona said in concern, "How was he?"

"Well, not so well. You know Cecil can be a bit extreme. Who knew she'd become that fed up over a simple question? She didn't spare his face either which I believe was the worst kind of punishment for Eros."

"And my mom came over and healed him, right?"

"Nope," Zeph shook his head, "Eros refused all help. Decided he wouldn't use anything but conventional means to heal himself. He was just in a mood, you see. Beat down by a girl and made to run back home in defeat. He was truly a pitiful sight and then he was unusually morose for a good while and then eventually he was back to his old self."

"So everything turned out fine," Leona said.

"Not quite. This 'thing' started to happen. Even though Cecil had refused, she did seem interested in him in her weird 'Cecil' way. Anytime the two happen to occupy the same town, Cecil sniffs him out like a hound dog and kindly extricates him from his 'extracurricular' activities."

"Something tells me that entire last sentence was a euphemism."

"Well, it certainly isn't pretty. She quite literally drags him away be it someone's house or out in public. I think it's hilarious, but Eros isn't amused."

"I bet he regrets ever asking her out," Leona said with a laugh.

"I would say it's a lesson learned, but it's not as if he's changed much. Besides, sometimes I think he likes the attention. He did get back at her though, by refusing every single challenge she gives him. To this day, I don't think they've ever fought each other honestly and I think that drives Cecil crazy."

"A strange love story," Leona commented.

"I don't know if I'd even use the word 'love'. Both are pretty terrible at it and they have no idea what it is."

"Even Eros?" Leona asked surprised.

"Especially Eros. He doesn't know the first thing and it's painfully obvious. I'm not entirely sure he knows the distinction between love and lust."

"I see," Leona replied, "That makes sense. They are two very similar things." It was nice to know that even someone like Eros couldn't fully grasp the concept of love. At least she wasn't the only one.

Love was such a mysterious thing, unquantifiable, intangible, that Leona found that she didn't feel like spending too much time pondering over it. It was mostly headache inducing at this point. She always had to wonder if she 'liked' someone or 'loved' someone. Maybe Eros had the same dilemma. Then again, maybe not.

"I'm going to go see how Mom is doing," Zeph said after a moment, "Did you want to come?"

"No, that's alright. I would hate to interrupt something personal."

"Well, if it was personal, I wouldn't have invited you to join," Zeph said with a laugh.

"Ah, I'll just...join you in a bit," Leona finally said."

"Going to check in on your dad," Zeph asked knowingly.

"How did you-" Then she paused and let the sentence fade. Zeph could sometimes be quite perceptive.

They split ways after this. The ones who they'd brought here affected by Lucas' spell was placed in a separate hut that was actually quite spacious and comfortably housed everyone. She made her way there now. She'd check on her aunt and uncle earlier, now it was time to face her fears and do the same for her father.

She hated seeing him like this, so pallid, so still, so unresponsive. This warm person who she looked up to dearly had been responsible for taking down her companions with ease and with little regard to anyone. His eyes had been so dead and his hands filthy with other people's blood. She realized that he was much more effective using those hands than he was with his usual techniques. Maybe that was why he chose not to use them-they were too dangerous. She touched his cold hands and a look a determination crossed her face. Don't worry, Dad, everything will be alright soon. I won't let you down.

AN: Strangely enough, my lack of updates aside from work is because I've already been writing on chapters that will be part of "Season 2" of this story line. I'm so excited about it that I haven't even gotten around finishing this one up. At the very least, I can firmly imagine the ending to this. Get ready for lots of drama and angst

Jinseigami'Fell recently drew Leona for me and I put a link to it in my profile, however, for some reason, it doesn't seem to work, so I put a link to my tumblr page where I posted the pictures of all the OCs. Take a gander.