Chapter 6: Presents: Prelude to the pain

Sora woke up in his bed again he was really getting tired of the blackouts he got up it was almost noon from what he could tell he'd only been out for two hours at the most. He would've gotten ready but instead decided to open the presents he received from his friends first since they sat right in the middle of the floor.

He opened the closest one first it was from Tifa, it was a jacket that reminded him of an organization thirteen jacket only because every little thing that wasn't black was silver, the zipper, the cuffs even the strings hanging from the jacket that tightened the hood itself but the back; it was amazing. Even if it was also silver it started in a whirlpool in the middle branching out to the sleeves of the jacket starting randomly and ending just the same on both ends. he put it on it fit him perfectly as for his shorts, he didn't have his normal shorts Tifa gave him jeans not just any jeans snug fitting dark almost black jeans.

He put them on along with the belt he acquired from Cid, which was odd the belt buckle, was an upside down crown. (I did not intend to have it rhyme…) From Vincent he got a keychain, which was different from the ones he had before. It was black, but that wasn't what made it different on it had a gun with a purple orb in the middle of it he attached it to his keyblade. Moreover, it morphed into a normal key except the bar holding the teeth was in the shape of the gun Vincent used and it actually shot bullets. The teeth were black with oddly enough eyes at the ends words entered his mind and when he said them aloud he felt his body change into a feral beast. He felt stronger but he felt darkness engulf him he quickly dispersed the blade he then returned to normal.

"Wouldn't want Tifa to see that one…well…better her than Yuffie"

Denzel and Marlene gave him something he didn't expect it was a drawing with him and Cloud together on the top it said my hero's and beneath it he found a small key with it, it read:

The kids begged me, they want you to stay here, so I'm giving you this key, you'll always be welcomed here, and honestly even if the kids didn't ask I still would've given you this, no matter what this will always be your home

-Tifa

He smiled softly as he looked from the picture to the letter

"He thinks of me as a hero, and yet I haven't even saved him not once…but now I already have big shoes to fill" he smiled

He had another present it was from Cloud; he opened it up to find a black orb when it engulfed him his clothing took on an aura of purple, he felt the solitude and depression that Cloud was hiding the Fenrir was prominent in his hand it was shining with light a bright light.

"That's right, I got this from Tifa…this blade is this forms light…just like Tifa is Clouds light"

He still had one more present left from what he could tell the form he was in vanished in darkness of all things and he opened it up he received black gloves the embroidery white on the underside the embroidery crossed each other in an X, alongside it a note was written

"Yo my names Barrett. I'm not sure if you remember me or if you remember meeting me at all but I remember hearing a lot of things about you. Majority of which from Yuffie the gloves you have there will amplify your power, with and without your blades. you can utterly destroy a boulder and with them, you could probably make craters albeit not as big as the silver haired bastard. But big enough to cause a lot of damage just be sure to use them when you're in a pinch"

-Barrett

"Silver hair…oh…him" Sora thought aloud as he looked around once more and saw a small box he walked towards it

He opened it to find a smaller pair of shoes he knew who it was from and smiled he put on the shoes realizing he wouldn't need the bigger ones. For obvious reasons the laces; red the shoes themselves were black but the outlines were red same as the laces yet they tied into a heart with a letter, inside was a small pendant with a chain attached he read the letter first.

"Incase you didn't figure out the shoes are so you don't stand out. That and you don't need to worry about sand anymore - plus I thought they'd look cute on you…and the pendant inside is a picture. Its special – to me at least it'll become a weapon so that…I can fight alongside you even when I'm not with you so that. I can keep you safe and protect you and defeat your foes for you so that you won't be in any danger…so that I can see you once again.

-yours truly Yuffie

A lone tear came from his eye as he looked at the picture inside the pendant it was a picture of the both of them smiling as cheery and as happily as they could…because the day afterwards they'd never see each other again. He remembered that day sadly, he attached the keychain and his blade turned electric blue, it was a bit thicker and the exact length of the Fenrir. the guard was in the shape of a heart the teeth were golden that radiated light the bar glowed blue, the end of it attached to where the top tooth and the end of the bar was a ninja star with a keyhole in the middle. He didn't know how to react to the radiant blade that was formed.

"I'll call this…Hydra's love I know how much that materia means to her and love seems to be prominent in her mind…it makes sense"

With his new attire and refreshed attitude, he made his way down stairs to see Tifa and Marlene with worried looks he looked around the bar. the had customers it was at least ten people the two girls looked busy but at the same time had worried; sad looks etched into their faces and he felt his heart sink he walked towards the door head down eyes straight forward.

"You're…going to look for him, aren't you?" Tifa asked looking directly at Sora's back

All he did was nod before he turned around to face her

"You did the same before and you helped me face him so…it's the least I can do, for before and now." Sora smiled softly before he ran out the door running to the wastelands…running to the start of his new adventure…to the start of the love that was slowly swelling in his heart…to the anguish the despair and the heartache he'd be going through.

"Yuffie…I'll keep protecting you…no matter what"