Chapter 23: Start of the Squall
Daybreak came sooner than anyone would've liked for anyone especially Yuffie she was in too much of a haze to notice if the brunette was in bed or not. All she could think about was food which after much reluctance. Yuffie forced her friend and barmaid to make her something, when I mean reluctance…she sat on the end of her bed which she and Cloud both shared and kept telling her things about Sora that were…a little too personal for her after a little over twenty seconds she got up before she could start talking about something other than his upper body. After making breakfast; which she soon regretted because soon after making it the children as well as the others - who magically piled into the walls of the seventh heaven soon filled into the aforementioned bar. She sighed before starting to make more food than she intended she couldn't really complain she had it coming for letting the young ninja stay, but she was really her only girlfriend she had, so she really couldn't get mad but she vowed to get more girlfriends.
"Has he awoken yet?" The female scientist asked as soon as their eyes locked onto each Other's Yuffie stopped mid chew her cheeks perked up into a bit of a pout and her lips quivered and her eyes glassed over Lucrecia quickly got up and rushed to the brunettes' room leaving everyone else worried.
"Sora…"
Light a bright light, he was surrounded by and honestly for the life of it was tired of the reminiscing
"You…look a lot like him, no wonder you have such a painful task ahead" A soft almost angelic voice whispered behind him, the girl – obviously seemed flabbergasted
"Now that isn't a way to address someone you know! and the similarities end with the hair I don't think this kid is the I don't want to be with anyone type" another voice this one this one seemed to be having way too much fun with pointing out similarities but…who are they even comparing to?
"Zell that's no way to talk to the kid, he'd got a lot on his plate" Another voice gruff and just by the voice could tell he was irritated and preferred to be isolated
"You're just saying that because Rinoa's here – you're just talking because she's here!"
"Seems like…you've lost your way, Sora" the man completely ignored Zell's comment
"Squall…" Sora whispered he turned around to face the trio Squall's eyes darkened at the sight of Sora's
"You became one…even though you know the risks?" Squall was taken aback by this realization
"All for her…I did all of it for her" Sora let the monotone in his voice carry him through his sentence
"For Kairi, she's-"He was cut off
"-Yuffie, I did it for her, to protect her, and everyone else, you know Cloud, he gets annoyed with trivial matters easily" Squall's brows furred
"Why aren't you at the island, you risked everything to get it back!" Squall was getting angry was helping the kid really all just for this?
"They needed my help so I decided to help them, but now the whole world is resting on my – our shoulders and Kairi loves Riku my place has been removed – for now I just want to save them – everyone and be with her, be with Yuffie!" Sora's eyes flashed a streak of yellow
"What…have you done?" Squall shouted
"What it takes…to save them I took everything in myself so no one would suffer…" He looked up at his brunette counterpart
"They need me now, but…Squall, one day I hope…you'll forgive me for my actions"
"You know you could die, right?" Squall said it in a caring tone that threw Sora for a loop but smiled nonetheless
"I know, but if it means I can save them, it's worth the risk!" Sora smiled hard before disappearing into the light Squall looked over to Rinoa she let tears silently fall from her face and Zell looked towards the spot the teen vanished with a heartbroken expression.
"Something's going to happen…something bad I get the same feeling as well, that the Sora I knew, will never be the same, but…even if you change at least I got to see you one last time before…"
"He'll be alright, he's been through worse right?" Zell asked almost pleading for a yes
"Yeah but this…this is something so much worse" Rinoa said softly before the trio vanished
"Never forget who is important to you, kid if you do, you'll never find your true ending"
Sora opened his eyes to see the sunrise illuminating his eyes even more than they ever would alone standing near the road looking towards dawn, towards the future…towards Genesis he scowled
"You can't interfere with my family…"
He pulled out the keychain he received from Squall of course he never did get he even received it for that matter but he couldn't just ignore it
"Lions will…" Sora then looked to the other keychain he'd been received from Tifa long ago
"Fenrir's courage…"
"The both of you in-trusted me with something you needed to make it through your plight…and I'll make it through this one with the help of the both of you, so you'll be with me when it gets rough you'll be looking out for me, right Squall?"
"There you are!" Tifa shouted Sora too lost in thought didn't notice her, his gaze fixed solely on the sunshine, looking at him now, he was…mature strong willed ready to fight to the last breath…so much like Cloud it scared her to think if he was even a little bit older she could see herself with him
"I really need new friends" Tifa thought to herself berating herself for the thoughts that went through her head
"Yuffie this is so your fault"
"Sora, breakfast is ready if you're hungry…" She trailed off as his bright eyes caught hers in a stare, his normal bright and cheery ones replaced with serious ones but the glow was a lot more evident especially with the mako infusion and the sun's rays. Yuffie came out behind the bar waitress still chewing a piece of sausage when she saw the brunette the food literally fell out of her mouth when her saw slacked down; Cute is what she described him before, when he came back after his death he was hot now he was just…
"Daaaaamn" That was the only comment she could make without drooling
"Yuff?" Tifa was getting concerned the way she was staring wasn't normal…although she looked like that when she saw Cloud getting out of the shower Yuffie told her this countless times; even recorded it surprisingly never noticed she was even being recorded
Sora, taking his time finally decided to look towards them and walked towards them, with every step Yuffie could feel her heart beating, louder and louder; with every step. She could feel her face getting redder and redder until they just a fraction of an inch apart kissing distance, her lips twitched with anticipation but her gaze was steady on his blue eyes.
"S-" he put a hand on her cheek looked into her eyes for what seemed like an hour and then let it fall to her hand and guided her inside…Tifa realized what they might do seconds later
"DON"T EVEN THINK OF DOING THAT IN THIS ESTABLASHMENT! Tifa shouted
"Let them have time to themselves, tomorrow we're going after Genesis I don't think we have a reason to stop them from whatever it is they plan to do, I honestly think your just jumping to conclusions…don't you?" Vincent gave her his I-am-all-knowing-and-I-know–everything stare
"You still see him as your innocent little brother, don't you?" Cloud asked as his hands rested on her hips his chin resting on her shoulder he planted a soft kiss on her jaw-line, which of course made her blush. She wasn't used to the PDA it got worse; no one really noticed the simple gesture but Cloud was a bit odd and indecisive but that didn't stop him from kissing the waitress in front of everyone. Her face was a darker shade than that of a ginger's hair not knowing how to react she ran into her room squealing like a schoolgirl, all Cloud could do was smirk and follow her.
"Well I'll be, they finally got past that just friends phase, took em' forever" Barrett chuckled holding Marlene a bit more loosely
"Well shoot it was bound to, wasn't it, but I honestly think that kid had something to do with it, in more ways than one he's made things around here better if that was even possible" Cid actually had a look of glee etched into his features
"Daddy, do you think it'll always be like this?" Marlene asked and as quickly as she did the room died, everyone had grave expressions and the light that had been there faded
"I…don't know sweetie, but as long as that kids here, as long as Yuffie Tifa and spiky are here it'll stay the same, I promise" One he wouldn't know if he could even keep.
Yuffie was lying next to Sora, well more like he was holding her, her eyes closed but his grip firm kept her close not like she'd leave anyway it'd be like seeing a materia and not stealing it
"I'm afraid," His voice meek but not full of fear he was being truthful
"Afraid of, what?" She really didn't want to talk she wanted to sleep but she didn't want to leave him alone to think of this and get himself worried even more than he already is
"Losing you, I keep thinking I can stop him and end this but…what if I mess up and everyone else suffers? What do I do then?" His eyes glided away from the dark brown irises and towards the wall
"You won't, I know you won't" She let the words flow out of her mouth easily it wasn't so much as she was worried about that possible outcome. But that she'd been through so much she was used to that possibility and buried it.
"How can you be so sure?" He asked out of shock more for her confidence in him
"You saved the world three times already another one isn't going to be that much harder right?" she giggled
Still unsure but accepted the comment he rested his head against hers
"I'll protect you, my white rose, even if I have to crawl I'll protect you" Sora whispered Yuffie couldn't help but get as close as she could to the teenager her head resting against his chest the beating of his heart like a lullaby.
"I love you," She mumbled before letting sleep take over her nimble form
He couldn't help but let a single tear slide down his tanned skin
"I won't let him take you away from me; I won't let him take anyone!" Sora whispered to himself before closing his eyes
Genesis, had finally lost it, seeing everyone as a threat to his power to his right; being a hero that's all he wanted so to speak the Turks he saw as a threat, Cloud strife he saw as a threat but even thought that may be the case he didn't end up stabbing ether of them today.
"N-No…no…no…NO NO NO NO NO!" The brunette screamed staring at the scene before him in complete agony and pure unleashed hatred