A/N: Oh, they joy of reviews, lol! You guys are such devoted reviewers and readers! So, I've been getting a lot of questions about Ienzo: Why is he five? Well, I have this theory! I figure if you're still a child when you lose your heart, your Nobody will be older in age, but if you're ever to get a new heart, you're sort of like, reborn in a way, y'know? Though I think I should bump Ienzo's age up to like 9, which is what I'm gonna do! Yup-yup, enjoy!

It was silent as the two girls stared at each other, both not really knowing what to say, Aerith not knowing from the surprise and shock, and Hope just from being speechless. Finally, Aerith ran forward and threw her arms around her friend, hugging her tightly and happily. "You're back!"

"Aerith, where are-" There was a silence from the person that spoke, shortly followed after a very loud crash and the sound of glass shattering and other various items falling to the ground below. Whoever had just spoken apparently ran forward, gently prying Aerith off of Hope and standing in front of her.

Hope looked up and lilac eyes met blue and Hope gave a small smile as she stared up at the man who stood before her, sheepishly playing with the blue bracelet she wore on her right wrist. "Hello…Squall."

Said man stared at her as if she were crazy, before he regained his composure and closed his eyes, sighing. "It's Leon."

And for the first time in a while, Hope felt somewhat amused, letting out a small giggle. "Sorry. I guess, I've been away so long, I forgot that you don't like being called Squall anymore."

Hope's theme begins to play~

"Hope, where've you been for the past 9 months?" Leon asked, crossing his arms across his chest, frowning slightly.

Hope's eyes widened slightly. "Nine months? I've….I've been gone that long?"

Leon and Aerith both nodded quietly and Aerith spoke. "We've been worried sick since you left Traverse Town without saying goodbye."

Hope's face saddened a bit, causing her to look down at the ground. "I'm sorry…"

Aerith put a hand on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Why don't we go back to Merlin's house. You can explain everything there."

Hope shook her head sadly, gently removing Aerith's hand from her shoulder. "I…I can't."

Leon and Aerith's eyes widened slightly, Aerith letting out a soft gasp. Leon frowned slightly. "Hope, you need to come explain to everyone where you've been for so long." Leon said, his tone a bit more demanding sounding.

"But I can't. Not when there's so much going on…"

"What do you mean?" Aerith asked.

"I'm not safe here at the moment. That's why I have to go."

"But why?"

"Some things happened not too long ago…and I made some pretty crappy choices. I have to make up for my mistakes. The worlds…they're in danger. And I need to help them."

Leon sighed in frustration, his frown deepening. "Hope, there's someone that already has that job. You don't need to-"

"I know that I don't need to. But I want to. Knowing that I can make up for the wrongs that I've done will make me feel better. Please, Leon, Aerith, try to understand." Hope said, giving them a small smile.

Leon opened his mouth, but Aerith beat him to it. "We understand. Go and get the things you need to do done. Home will still be here when you get back, and so will we. Just don't forget that we're here for you if you ever need anything, ok?" Aerith said, a smile on her face.

"Thank you. I have a favor I'd like to ask of you. Would you take care of Ienzo while I'm gone?" Hope asked, nudging the child forward a bit.

Aerith smiled down at him. "So, you really did find him after all. We'll take care of him."

"Thanks, guys. I should be going now. I'll see you soon."

Axel was frowning as he and Hope met back in the Bailey, Hope finding him leaning up against the wall. Immediately, Hope noticed Axel's sudden change in mood, quick to question it. "Is something wrong?"

Axel glanced up at her worried face, closing his eyes and sighing. "I think they got the hint that we're not going back."

Hope's eyes widened slightly. "You mean they were here?"

"Yeah, they decided to drop in on Sora. Which means they're probably watching his every move. That's why we aren't going to go in the same direction as he is. Instead, we're going to let the portal lead us to wherever it wants to."

"But isn't that a bit reckless? Going wherever the portal leads us to? What if it lands us somewhere dangerous and….well, dangerous?" Hope asked.

Axel gave her a cocky grin. "Then I'll protect you."

Hope blushed, looking off to the side, a small smile appearing on her face. "But you already do that, don't you?"

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean you don't need me to protect you, because we both know that you do. Besides, if there's anything that's dangerous, we can take it together, right?"

Hope smiled and gave a small nod. "Right." Axel grinned, opening up a portal, the two walking in, letting the portal take them wherever it wished to. _

A/N: Wow, this was super short. I feel really bad about the long wait for the update. This week has been really hectic with the Broadway Nights performance that choir is having tonight and tomorrow. It's stupid for me to have to go to three shows, but I don't have a choice, so whatever. Hopefully, this will just be a one time thing where I go so long without an update. LATER TATERS!