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Fool's Journey	By : wickedorin Category: Final Fantasy VIII > Het - Male/Female Views: 692 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 3
- 4
Fool's Journey and the general overall concept of Fool's Journey
are completely copyright Orin Drake 2005, as are the characters Kyrie Almasy
Leonhart Kinneas (whew!), Rodger Kinneas and John Sparda. The name/idea
of Sparda and the weapons Ebony and Ivory are copyright Capcom. The
names of Griever, Vincent Valentine, Cloud Strife, Squall Leonhart, Seifer
Almasy, Rinoa Heartily, Quistis Trepe, and probably a million other things
I'm forgetting are copyright Squaresoft. Riku, Sora, Traverse Town,
Leon, the Heartless, Ansem, the Unknowns and a million others are copyright
Square and probably Disney... and whatever I've forgotten likely doesn't
belong to me, so... let's not worry about it. Sheesh.

        Background: Actually, this
is just a side story taking place immediately after Descendants of the
Mundane. It's meant only to set-up the next actual part in the
Sins
saga/universe/storyline, Ties That Bind and Tear Apart. In
other words, you could skip it and be just fine if you wanted... well,
mostly.

        As for WARNINGS:
uh... sex, sexuality, violence, and a lot of general oddities. No
distinction made between "'types' of sexuality" or individual moralities...
and overall just a strange sense of humor that not everyone can appreciate.
If you've read The Sins of Two Fathers, Retribution
Nor Redemption, or Descendants of the Mundane, then you'll
know what to expect. If not... then... uh... don't judge the rest
of them by this. Heh.

Fool's Journey

Chapter 4

By Orin Drake
        The sleep was not entirely
satisfying, but at least it came. The tea had been calming enough,
muscles relaxed a little from the quiet moment and the conversation...
but perhaps the real reason for there having been rest at all was the draining
effect the memories had on both of them. They emerged from their
respective rooms with the smell of coffee and something of little nutritious
value wafting from the kitchen, nearly running into one another in the
hall with half-conscious grunts meaning, "Good morning."

        Sora was first to find a
seat, paying slight (if any) attention to Yuffie's comment that she'd been
sitting there. Little though it mattered, since she'd gotten up long
ago to do something else.

        Kyrie had been trained to
seek out the coffee first and foremost. She could have gone through
walls if she had to--or through half-awake brooding young men that may
be standing in the way. She might have mumbled something akin to
"excuse me" as she actually managed to move Leon aside, but no one was
paying that much attention. Out of sheer routine, she poured two
cups full--not that Sora wasn't extremely appreciative of not having to
get up and find some for himself. He could sleep on the ground in
the freezing cold and leap up at the slightest sound of an enemy approaching...
but rolling out of an actual bed, in the morning? Pft. It'd
been a long time since he had coffee.

        The two late-sleepers were
so involved in re-learning the ability to get cups to their mouths in order
to absorb the caffeine, that they didn't notice the subtle exchange of
glances between the other two. Yuffie only nodded, then left the
room. She had the early patrolling to do... not that she appreciated
it any.

        Seeing the ninja on, Leon
carefully took his own cup of coffee with him to the table, sitting between
the two yawning masses of... anything but warriors, it seemed. The
benefit of the doubt was getting thinner when Sora's hand reached for a
turnover and missed it by an inch or so.

        Glancing at Kyrie, however,
yielded an unexpected surprise--her eyes were crystal clear... and expectantly
meeting his gaze. It was obviously something she tried to hide with
the quick blink, aversion, then the yawn that came immediately after...
but it'd already been witnessed. She was paying the utmost attention.

        Well, if that was her desire...
certainly Sora would catch up. "I think I've found something."
Leon started off, getting straight down to the point. "An anomaly
that might explain why you're here... or at least tell us how you can get
back to your world."

        She didn't dare hope.
She hardly responded, focussing more on the cup in front of her than anything
else. "Oh?"

        He was trying not to watch
her reaction. "Everyone who's arrived before you has come through
a similar... rip in space, so to speak--but it's always been at the entrance
to this town. The one I believe you've come through appears to be...
moving. Opening in one location, closing, and moving to another.
I believe if we can get you back to it..."

        She understood. She
indicated such by nodding. Still no chance of letting herself hope,
still giving no part of her mind to those specific possibilities.

        Sora, despite being the
picture of a too-early riser, had been listening just as closely.
He hadn't missed the subtle reactions, himself... and yet he wondered why
she wasn't a little more hopeful about the news. Memories not withstanding...
the possibility was pretty good if Leon thought there was a chance.

        What both gentleman missed
at that moment was one, tiny sliver of a thought going through her mind.
It had no right to do so. She had no reason to think it above anything
else, certainly... but it was there, anyway. She forced herself not
to bite her lip. After all, home was home, and she did want
nothing more than to go back... but...

        "It's not your place."
Leon's voice was firm, but quiet, speaking over his cup before taking another
swallow. How he'd caught the essence of her thoughts wasn't important--though
he'd continue to wonder for some time afterward. "This isn't your
fight."

        She turned to look at him,
but his eyes were already lowered. Unwilling to meet her gaze, perhaps...
but she spoke her heart, anyway. "I wish I could say it was that
easy for me."

        "It... it really isn't your
responsibility." Sora spoke up. Sad as his voice seemed in
one sense (it wasn't as if he wished to see her go; he wanted very much
to get to know her better)... it was knowledgeable. Wise and understanding.
"You should go home."

        I want to.
She didn't entirely want to speak up. But I feel like this is...
close. Part of me. I don't know why, but... "There's
a bit of home, here."

        He understood, in his own
way. But he wasn't about to let her stay out of any sense of... well,
simply not for anything. She had too much waiting for her elsewhere.
He would much rather miss her and know she was safe than have her stay
and know she was miserable. If he'd had such a choice, he doubted
he would have felt one instant's hesitation in going back home... but then,
he understood that their circumstances were far from the same. "We'd
both rather you didn't miss the opportunity to find your world again."

        She sighed, trying to keep
it to herself... but nodded. Well... that argument was perfectly
valid. And it ached a little. She still felt like she were
abandoning them... but she did want to go home. She needed
to go home. She just... hated to leave them to what may well be a
disaster. She could only imagine if Cloud or Vincent had done the
same to her, way back when... She cleared her throat, banishing the
thoughts. "So what now?"

        Leon took another long swallow
of his coffee before responding. "We find out where the rift is,
and get you to it as soon as possible."

        Damn. Playfully
swam through her thoughts. It's too early for this shit.
She gave a little bit of a smile, though. "I have time to finish
my coffee though, right?"

        That caused him to blink,
but not lose character. What a change of mood. "Yes.
Be ready to wait." With that, the man lifted, pushed the chair back
in, and left.

        Sora stared over for a reaction
for some time... finally getting a shrug before Kyrie gulped down the rest
of her precious drink--being sure to grab a turnover right after.
"Might as well load up, here." She semi-explained, getting up for
a second cup.

        It was a good point. He
agreed silently by getting another turnover for himself... and maybe a
bagel.

        Considering there was absolutely
nothing she could do to get any more "ready to wait" than she already was,
Kyrie wandered back down the hall to her room. Mostly to give herself
something to do while Leon did... whatever the fuck he was going to do
before... whatever the fuck they were going to do.

        Also, it was to see the
destruction she'd caused. She almost felt badly about it... almost.
If she wound up back in her world with nothing desperately out of place,
then
she might actually feel some real sense of guilt. Possibly.
It wasn't so bad, really... just... messy... with a nice breeze.
Yeah.

        Not much else to stare at
in her room, she wandered back down the other side of the hall. Hey,
she'd never been there before, may as well see if there was anything interesting
to poke at... apparently, however, it was a little alcove that was not
meant to be seen. Leon was sitting in the filtered light, sharpening
an incredibly elaborate-looking sword. What happened to the gunblade,
she dared not guess... but ducking just a little to the side allowed her
to see more of his face, his hair tucked behind his ear for the work.
The sound of her breathing became patterned after the sleek motion of the
whetstone against the blade to hide her presence. She just... couldn't
look away.

        How she desired, how she
longed
for, just one more moment with her dad... Of course, Leon was not
him. She knew that. She just... wanted to... see him.
One more time. From a distance. Watching his blue eyes focus,
his hands work diligently in a steady count, an air of relaxed concentration
pervading... so close to what she remembered...

        "Hey." She heard whispered
carefully behind her. Sora's voice--she turned to regard him.

        Keeping very quiet, he finally
inquired, "What'cha doin'?"

        Her lips jumped upward a
little. She was getting that strong sibling vibe from him again.
"Getting the chance to remember better." That was all it was, really.
Just... one more moment.

        He watched her carefully,
turning to once again peer secretly at Leon while he worked. He suspected
that it would be far more rude to suggest she not spy than to let her have
her moment. With a nod, he left her to what she was doing; he'd seen
her memories, felt her pain... understood how lucky she was to have some
things again, even if they weren't the same. Even if they would hurt
more later. It was okay. He'd choose the same for himself,
truth be told.

        He found himself being followed
a moment later, however. His puzzled look must have been enough of
a question. "I couldn't stay long." She admitted. "Just...
a moment. That's all."

        Sora nodded understanding.
"Do you have a weapon?"

        Remembering the fact that
she "came through" naked left an interesting sort of grin playing behind
her eyes. "Not here, apparently." She took a deep breath, glancing
behind them to make sure she wasn't found out for watching. "I'd
sort of like to know what to expect before I find myself needing
one, though."

        At that moment, the rhythmic
sharpening of Leon's sword ceased. They almost felt as if they ought
to break it up and go hide, as if a parent had just heard all of the noise
coming from upstairs and was on their way to yell... but that seemed to
die with the colder than normal expression in the already icy eyes as he
walked to them, sword in his hand. It seemed the time to be ready
had approached. His voice either dropped an octave... or was bled
of all things but necessity. "Are you coming, Sora?"

        The boy was mildly shocked
at the question. He looked to Kyrie, finding only an "up to you"
shrug. Well... why not? It might help, somehow. "Sure."
Extra person to fight, eyes to see...

        Leon turned to lead them
out--but Kyrie stopped him with a simple question. "Don't I get something
sharp?"

        It struck him as an odd
thing to ask. "You don't need to fight. You just need to stay
between us and move quickly."

        Pft. "I can
fight. I just need a weapon."

        "It's too dangerous."
He seemed to think the argument was over, turning to walk on.

        "Oh I'm fucking quivering."
She announced, drab and deadpan. "No, seriously. Look at me
shake. Fear races in my heart."

        Leon looked... intensely
unhappy with her attitude. "You could get yourself killed."
He insisted coldly. "We may have to wander for hours to come across
the rift again."

        You've got no idea what
I've been through. She grinned, keeping that thought to herself.
"What am I worried about? I've got a big strong fella to protect
me. And you."

        A beat of silence followed.
"Fine." He relented with a hiss just to get her to stop.
"Take a weapon from down the hall."

        Winner. She
tried not to look smug about it... after all, there was no need to completely
destroy him. She was mercifully quick about looking through the small
cache of swords for something that felt relatively good in her hand...
but couldn't help but notice no gunblades amongst them. It kind of
sucked, really, seeing as how she was so used to Eleison. Nevermind;
she'd found a well-balanced, one-handed sword with a nice edge.

        The looks she got on her
way to the door were somewhat priceless. Even Leon's frozen facade
gave a moment's awe. Sora's eyes went wide before an appreciative
look of support settled in his features. If she'd only known what
they'd gone through just to get that damn thing... but then, maybe she
did.

        In truth, that particular
section of his life wasn't exactly a glittering memory that made it through
in tact... but she did get the fact that it was an unexpected prize for
a very difficult battle. Hey, it was weighted perfectly for her--worthwhile,
in her book. "So... what the hell do we do now?"

        "Wait." Leon repeated,
already turning to walk out. "We find a spot... and wait."

        Sounds like a good time.
She was assuming that voicing such a comment may have actually sent the
poor boy over the edge... and she didn't want to do that. Too much.

        It was actually unusually
quiet on their way around "town". Kyrie could have sworn that she
saw glowing eyes from the shadows every so often, but nothing ever materialized.
Interesting. She wasn't sure that she wanted to know what was in
there, anyway.

        Sometime after the second
hour of seemingly useless wandering and silently threatening eyes that
lurked in the darkness, it was time to sit down somewhere safe and take
a short rest. Leon selected the half-fallen shell of what used to
be the item shop, later to be referred to as "almost four walls and no
roof" by Yuffie. The three of them sat on the steps at various angles,
making certain that they wouldn't be surprised.

        "Still waiting, are we?"
Kyrie began delicately.

        "Yes." Leon's answer
was both utterly direct and distant.

        Something about the girl
staring at him with narrowed eyes, he didn't seem to appreciate much.
He was one instant from his classic catch phrase before she handed it to
him first. "Whatever." The word made her eyes sparkle a little,
signaling that Leon wasn't in as much trouble as he seemed to think he
initially was.

        Sora had momentarily taken
his attention off of watching for enemies to see the foreign and yet somehow
connected interaction between them. Both longing to know... to exchange,
compare... Maybe, if... He lifted with a stretch. "I
think I'll just take a little walk around. Make sure nothing's listening."

        "You don't have to..." Kyrie
began, hoping she hadn't made him feel like he was being left out.

        "No, it's okay." His
smile was warm, possibly giving just the slightest wink to her. "You
two just... talk."

        She knew he was only trying
to help... but she knew, too, that Leon was giving her a look out
of the corner of his eye. She waited until Sora had more or less
disappeared from sight before insisting, "Wasn't my idea."

        He made a gruff sound in
his throat... but seemed to believe her. "He still tries to get everything
to fix itself."

        It was an interesting statement
to be made, she thought. "Maintaining that hope."

        With a quiet sound of acknowledgment
he lowered his eyes, looking away for a long time. Finally, the question
that had been eating at him slowly, cautiously made its way to the surface.
"Just tell me... is Laguna... alive? In your... world?"

        "Yeah." For a long
moment, she wondered whether he wanted to hear any more... but the silence
was too deafening not to fill. "He's my grandfather... the President
of Esthar... I visit him a lot."

        Never seeming more like
a lost and lonely boy, Leon nodded once, quickly. "Did he love his
son?"

        It kind of... ached to hear
that question asked. Her dad never had any doubt, per se...
he just didn't know how the hell to react to a sudden "father figure" who
had even less of an idea of how to react to a son. "Very much."

        Another quiet moment without
motion, without eye contact. "And... and Seifer, you say... was your..?"

        "My father." She finished,
gently. "Laguna loved him just as much, I believe." The man
was full of love, what could she say... He talked too much, had a
severe caffeine addiction (at least she could say it ran in her family)
and participated perfectly in hyper-active pursuits of short-term memory
and an inability to sit still for long periods of time, but... the man
had a good heart.

        "And your... your dad...?"
he paused to glance at her--but only for the split second it took to read
her--making sure his terms were correct. "He... loved Laguna... right?"

        She could hardly help but
wonder just what could have possibly gone on in his world... but to ask
seemed somehow extremely inappropriate. If not altogether wrong.
"He did. There were some difficult times, but... there always are."

        He nodded, haunted by a
lifetime of alternate and seemingly painful memories. "I'm... not
in the habit of apologizing... especially not for others..."

        Oh Hyne, no...
"Leon, stop. Please."

        "I need to--"

        "No." She broke him
off at the source. "No you don't. There's nothing to apologize
for. There never was and there never will be. Not on any front."
There had never been forgiveness to be sought. Not from her real
parents, and certainly not from a similar enough man from an alternate
dimension that had nothing to do with her life at all.

        He swallowed, taking her
refusal to listen as something of a real pardon. "But, Seifer...
was he... alright? I mean... I... I don't know what I mean..."

        "He was guilt-ridden."
She answered honestly. "But... by the end there... I know he understood
that it wasn't entirely... his..." She closed her eyes, forcing
herself not to tear up. She remembered his death from Sephiroth's
own eyes... and to think of it again, feeling so much closer than it had
in a long time... "I hope to Hyne that he knew it even when he died."

        He could hardly find it
in himself to make a sound of agreement, let alone ask what must be asked
to clear his mind... "Were you there?"

        What a question. "Yes
and no." She paused to try and articulate it in her head. "Not
for the... act. But I suppose I've... seen the memories of it.
And the effects."

        Even though he was trying
his best to look away, Leon noticed the shudder ravaging her shoulders
for the bitter whole of a second. Not much... but enough. And
still so much to ask... Maybe things worked out better in her world.
"What about... the rest of your life? Friends, family..."

        Well, what to tell him...
there was a lot to say and so few ways to say it. "I've a rather
small, odd, close group of friends... My husband is the son of Irvine
and Selphie." He certainly looked wide-eyed at that; but she continued.
"Elle and Quistis behave as my aunts, albeit on completely opposite ends
of the spectrum..."

        "And... Zell?" his tone
was timid.

        She took a quiet, sharp
breath. "Suicide." She simplified--perhaps a little too harshly.

        He was glad for it, though.
Easier to just... have it all out in the open like that. "Yeah."

        The thought that Zell may
well be fated to commit suicide in more than one universe gave her the
shivers. "Why?" she didn't know if she should be asking.

        He shook his head.
"I really don't know. He was always a little... 'off', I guess.
And..?"

        A lead weight settled in
her stomach. She could help but blame herself, a little... couldn't
help but know... "He found out about Squall and Seifer... getting
together, years ago... didn't take it so well. As far as I know it
was all fine... and then I visited him. I just... had to see if there
was anything I could lay to rest. Happened to tell him they were
both dead... I imagine that sent him over."

        "Oh." So, a little
guilt for her, as well.

        "Things never can be fucking
simple." She agreed, softly.

        "Serves us all right for
being alive." His voice was a croak with the words.

        "You should know better."
She commented... then laughed a little. "Sorry. I was talking
to my dad for a minute there."

        "It applies just the same."
He admitted.

        She shook her head, the
oddity of the conversation really hitting her. Where was home, she
wondered... was it still in tact? It had to be... just had to be...

        "Leon!" they heard, semi-hushed
around the corner; Sora's voice as he darted toward them. "There's
a... glowing wall by the fountain. It looks like there might be something
opening up."

        "That's it." He confirmed,
lifting. "We better hurry."

        Kyrie was not about to disagree.
She leapt up and jogged along with the others, keeping her eyes out for
the shifting shadows that seemed to close in behind them. Just too
freaky.

        Of course, that was nothing
compared to finally seeing this "glowing wall". Maybe she'd expected
one of those glow-in-the-dark things that you had to charge in the light
before they gave off a faint green glow... but the wall Sora had spoken
of, next to a lovely fountain, was... emanating something close to daylight,
if not a little weaker. In the center of the brightness was a...
hole. No normal hole in the wall, but a hole through... something
far more vast than bricks and wood. Time and space, she'd have said
instantly. A hole into absolute darkness. It was hard to do
much more than stand there and stare.

        "You'll have to wait until
it's completely open." Leon informed her.

        "Which shouldn't take too
long." Sora chimed in, turning around to make sure everything was
in order. The Heartless had been a little quiet that evening...
And true, perhaps it had been Yuffie at work again... but they were usually
plotting with their small but sharp little brains when they were that quiet.

        Movement. Kyrie surprised
them both when her arm moved without thought, sword making the extension
of the limb and slicing a tiny Heartless in half. She took a moment
to stare down at is as it... melted. Ew.

        "There will be a lot more
than that to worry about." Leon assured her, getting in front and
exploring the shadows with his eyes. Some little glows here and there...
they were surrounding. Moving. Wondering if they could get
the upper hand.

        "Sounds like a fun time."
She quipped with a touch of annoyance. As long as the little bastards
didn't interrupt her going home.

        And then something... very
large darted out of a dark corner, landing with an incredible earth-shaking
thud in front of them. What it was, Kyrie dared not venture
to guess. It was big, scary, and ugly--not to mention it had a look
in its orange eyes that said it would have liked to tear their skin from
their bodies and wear it as fashion.

        "Go for the legs."
Sora whispered quickly, harshly. He darted forward immediately after,
leaping up and lunging at the beast's head.

        There was no hesitation--Leon
took off in one direction, Kyrie in the other. The legs, he'd said...
well, the beast had six of them. Maybe a hexadragon connection..?
No time to think of those things, though; she angled the sword and chopped
straight at a knee joint.

        What the..?!
The sword... would not come back. It was more than stuck--it had
instantly become part of the creature.

        Uh-oh. Well,
that just wouldn't do at all. She wasn't... used to that. With
a hard kick as the monster roared and tried to turn its massive body to
swat at her, she managed to drive the sword even further in. Some
yellowish gunk that must have been blood served as enough lubrication for
her to saw the blade out, managing to escape without injury.

        Unharmed, yes. But
she found out why the sword had stuck; the yellow gore was like
melted marshmallow mixed with exceptionally strong glue. Just a moment
ago she couldn't get a grip on the sword; she found the opposite problem
just as irritating. Seeing as how she couldn't pry it out of her
hand to get a more comfortable grasp, she did the next best thing--held
it with both hands like a baseball bat and got back in to chop at another
leg.

        At the same time Kyrie was
trying to make sense of things, Leon was discovering a similar problem.
He'd gone for an inner thigh, hoping to sever a leg entirely if not make
it utterly useless. Regular Heartless didn't really have blood, per
se--just more of the same liquid they melted into when they were defeated,
which eventually evaporated or disappeared into the ground. He found
with utmost disgust that the particular Heartless he was fighting not only
bled
all over him, not only smelled of dead fish and compost, but
had coated him with something very similar to tar.

        Only Sora was above the
fray, literally. He'd been hacking at the head and shoulders, avoiding
the sticky spray as best he could. Seeing his teammates appearing
to be in some trouble, he sped it up a little. Might not be the smartest
thing, considering what the bloody substance seemed to be doing to the
others, but he felt he had no choice but to go directly for the throat.

        It was as much a move of
luck as it was of skill; that's all it took to bring the creature down.
The instant its life force was drained, the thick gore began to fall away
in the usual Heartless puddles, blending into the cobblestones beneath.

        Apparently the other, much
smaller Heartless, decided it may have been best to back off for a while.
The eyes gleamed only a few more seconds from the shadows, then pulled
away. Safe--for a few more minutes, anyway.

        Kyrie had been through a
lot in terms of fighting weird monsters. It was never quite like
that, though. "That was..." she paused, thinking of a term that fit.
But, the default worked. "Disgusting."

        "You seem to have handled
it alright." Leon commented offhand.

        "Never fuck with a Leonhart."
She grinned.

        "Hm." Was the taller
man's only response. Maybe the thought of having a child wasn't
so extremely disturbing... nah.

        She coughed in amusement
at his reaction. Making a standard "what body parts may I be missing"
check, she actually discovered something gained. In the energy
of the battle, her mastered Fire materia had spawned offspring. As
they did on occasion, of course; it was a matter of experience gained and
energy absorbed until it finally "grew" another from itself. It was
certainly an obvious enough phenomenon; she was used to the feeling of
Materia inside of her as they exchanged energy. When another was
birthed, it felt as if a small hot coal had begun to burn in her gut, spreading
outward and radiating heat until it was formed completely. That process
over, she was able to breathe deeply again.

        Well... what the hell.
A parting gift. They were watching her with curiosity, wondering
why her breathing had shifted suddenly to shallow gasping, so she believed
she may as well give them a show. Calling up the new Materia, its
essence ran in a bright line from her chest to her hand until the object
itself rested, suspended, just above her palm. Whew. That was
the easiest first Material calling ever.

        The gentleman stared with
wide eyes, jaws slack. Apparently neither were quite aware of Materia--though
they did know of summoning jewels. The glowing thing in her hand
didn't look or behave like those, though.

        She winked, the orb in her
hand levitating higher. "Materia." She clarified very little.
"Try it out." She invited both of them. "Could help you.
Ask Cloud about it."

        Leon made no move to accept
the gift, having absolutely no desire to touch something he know less than
nothing about. Sora, on the other hand, stepped forward gladly.
Curiosity was something that would always get the upper hand in his mind,
and he was certainly willing to give it a try. "What... do I do with
it?"

        She tilted her head, trying
to put it into words. It'd been more shown to her than described...
so she assumed perhaps it may be best for him that way, too. "Extend
your hand. You'll... catch on quickly."

        Not quite the explanation
he was hoping for, he took a deep breath... and a leap of faith.
He held his palm out in the same fashion she did, slowly reaching forward--

        The Materia sensed Kyrie's
intention, slowly floating from her palm to Sora's. He shivered at
the touch of the orb; it was warm and cold at once, an obvious source of
energy... but comfortable, somehow. It was when the orb was actually
absorbed
into his skin that he started, but only initially. It wasn't the
mild pain so much as it was the extremely unnatural feeling of solid Mako,
a substance that he'd never encountered before, finding its way deep in
his chest and spinning there slowly. It made him gasp to realize
what had happened, almost spreading into panic--before his battle-taught
instincts took over, forcing himself to calm down.

        "Alright?" she asked quietly,
having seen him flinch and shudder as he closed his eyes tightly.

        He nodded, taking another
deep breath before opening his eyes again. "That was different."
He admitted, taking a long moment just to feel the Materia move inside
of him. "N-now what?"

        She grinned at his eagerness.
"Close your eyes. Picture the Materia inside your chest. When
you want to use it, imagine a line of energy from the Materia to your hand."

        He blinked at her explanation.
It seemed so... simple for her. With a swallow, he did as he was
instructed, slowly--then a fragment of memory shared sparked in the back
of his thoughts. It was only bits and pieces of her Cloud having
trained her in the basics of using the orbs, but it was helpful to feel
it the way she'd experienced it.

        Leon couldn't deny his own
curiosity of the situation. He watched through a veil of indifference,
taking note of every subtle reaction of Sora's--unable to help the softly
amazed sound that escaped when a small but noticeable spark burst into
the air from Sora's fingers.

        "Wow." Kyrie commented
honestly. "That was good."

        Sora beamed proudly.
"This is... Fire..?"

        She nodded, glad to see
their shared memories were helping him out. "It can get a little
dangerous if you're pissed off, but otherwise it's fun."

        Leon had... some indication
that seeing the girl pissed off would be a great danger without
Materia... However, back to the matter at hand. The gateway
had opened enough for her to pass through, and that was all that they were
after for the moment. "This might be your only chance right now."
He indicated the glowing wall with a subtle glance, ignoring the fact that
he'd have liked to continue learning about her world. It didn't really
matter, did it..?

        She nodded, knowing it to
be the truth. "Okay." Her tone grew quiet. Too calm,
in its own right. "Do something for me, though. However this
turns out."

        The stoic brunette swallowed--trying
his best not to let the sound rise above his own breathing. "What?"

        Why she was saying
it wasn't clear... but she felt a desire too strong not to say it.
"Don't grow cold. Either of you."

        The normally good-natured
look about Sora's face paled, just a little--but in no more than the blink
of an eye, it returned. He understood even if he wasn't quite sure
it was a conscious effort. She had to be quick to get through before
the portal closed and disappeared again, so he simplified his feelings.
"I bet I'll see you again." He smiled.

        And she'd never been more
grateful for, or more absolutely reassured by, a smile. It was genuine.
Sincere. And it made him look younger than when she'd first met him.
How she wanted to have the chance to get to know him better... she had
a feeling they'd get along quite well. She knew she'd be kicking
herself for it, but... "Hey. If the situation is really dire...
let me know."

        "Hmph." Leon almost
seemed to... joke.

        That, too, made her happy.
She grinned at him, then winked. "Believe me, if you weren't the
spitting image of my dad, I'd be all over you." The instant she saw
him brace himself for non-reaction, she pushed even further. "Oh,
hell with it. Daddy was gorgeous; com'ere, you."

        While Leon's expression
dropped into some form of deeply disturbed fear, Sora laughed. His
humor had certainly gotten darker over the years... and Kyrie's memories
didn't help that any. Even if she had to go... the Keyblade Master
felt generally good about her presence, and their exchange.
Something was... complete about it. Aware their time was short, he
gave her a good-bye hug without the need to put thought into it.

        Even though she certainly
hadn't expected that move, she closed her eyes, savoring the short exchange.
The embrace seemed so oddly familiar even though she knew it shouldn't.
It was just... nice. She could settle for that. "Is
there anything I can do in my own world?" she let herself ask, almost fearful
of the answer.

        "Use the strength of your
heart." Sora responded, pulling back to show her laughing blue eyes.
"Just... think about us once in a while. Remember."

        Whew. That's a
change. She smiled. "That, I can do." Releasing,
she turned and grinned at the one who was trying far too hard to pretend
to ignore them. "Oh, come on, Leon. It's the only chance you'll
ever get for something this insane to happen."

        Or so he hoped. "No,
thanks." He almost pouted, refusing a showing of affection.

        "That's a young Squall,
alright." She joked, taking what was offered as a sign that everything
just might be okay after all.

        Time was short; the
portal had expanded as much as it was going to without extending into the
ground. It was more an instinctual feeling than anything, signaling
it was now or never.

        Kyrie had to admit to herself
that she was scared. That darkness could extend anywhere... and some
of Sora's memory flashes made her stomach roll with the possibilities.
Still... something else called to her. Something safe and warm...
and of home. Once last glance at the two behind her, she took a breath
and forced her way through--

        Into nothing.

        Well, not nothing.
She'd been in nothing before. What she experienced
was more like... warmth. Not falling, not flying, not floating...
just...

        It was so... warm... welcoming...
inviting...

        Hands, outstretched... recognizable,
welcomed... Hands...

        Silence, save for her breathing.
Darkness... but of the more comfortable variety. It was a known
darkness. A warm, reaching darkness of familiar smells and familiar
patterns of... very dim, dappled moonlight.

        The living room. On
the couch, specifically. Her heart was beating a million miles a
second; she took a deep breath and noted that it was indeed her living
room. At night. With the lights off. And a very, very
faint sound...

        She turned toward it as
quietly as she could, noting it slightly underneath her and to the side...
on the floor by the couch... Breathing.

        It came flooding back to
her: Vincent. He'd stayed. Absolutely
amazingly, he'd
stayed. Granted he was on the floor while she was on the couch, but...
what a gesture.

        She just couldn't help herself...
with silent, slow motions, she reached down to brush his shoulder.
Just to see if he was really there, if it all hadn't been some stupid,
insane dream... it must have all been a dream--

        "You fell asleep."
He accused without moving, without opening his eyes.

        Not a surprise, she supposed.
He was probably waiting for her to wake up. But... fucking Hyne.
She didn't miss orgasm, did she?! --Wait. There were
a few more important matters to attend to... somehow. "You fucked
me into oblivion."

        He let himself chuckle at
that, then threw it off to be ignored. "Thought I should get both
of us decent before your slaves came down and decided to jump me."

        What a thought. "I
never would have forgiven any of you for having missed that." While
her voice had been joking, there felt like a serious threat rested underneath...
but nevermind. She sat up, in her own clothes, on her own couch,
noting the way Vincent's eyes sparkled slightly in the dark. After
the dream she'd just had, she really needed a distracting conversation.
"Aww, we didn't cuddle."

        "How would you know?" he
scoffed. "You were asleep."

        "Oh, I'd know. Believe
me." She chuckled to herself, leaning back against the couch and
just... absorbing the moment. Would wonders never cease. "Hey,
Vinnie..." she started out far too quietly. Her curiosity was killing
her. "Did you and Cloud ever... fight? I mean, like... literally
wanting to kill each other kind of fight?"

        There was an awful lot of
silence after that question. It seemed so... out of place, to put
it lightly. "No." He answered first, followed quickly by, "Dreaming?"

        She hoped he couldn't see
her cringe... but she knew better. She was certain he could see in
the dark just as well as John could. Still, she kept her voice level.
Normal. "I hope so."

        His stomach dropped with
that sentiment. She... didn't know... if she was dreaming...

        "So..." she broke with a
practiced hand, "Wanna cuddle?"

        Normally, he never would
have let a thing like that go so easily... but nothing about that moment
was normal. "I don't think you deserve anything after falling asleep."

        "Pft." She settled
on, pretending to pout a bit... and really doing so, in her mind.
Something else needed asked... something even deeper than that. "Nothing's..."

        He knew the question by
heart, having asked it himself only moments ago. "No." Nothing
had changed. Nothing ever would.

        Well, good. Next question...
"And... did you happen to... uh..." She had no idea how to give voice
to her concern. It was a big concern, granted, but... it seemed
more than just a little horrible to have asked.

        "I'm sterile, Ky."
He blurted with no hesitation.

        Wow. Good to know.
Though she wondered how he knew that to be true. "Are you sure about
that one?"

        "Completely." He assured.
"Medically sound."

        That was just to amusing.
"And how did this come up..?"

        "Sometimes the Presidential
Estate gets boring."

        Even though her eyes were
just beginning to adjust to the moonlight, she knew the mild grin on his
lips was certainly devious. "So you meander over to the on-site hospital
and knock a few off?"

        "I was curious." Somehow
he managed to answer her question, and completely slough it off at the
same time.

        She returned the favor with
a tease. "I'm honored, Vinnie."

        Even in the dark that slight
glare was obvious. "I didn't say it was for your benefit."

        "And you didn't have to."
She continued jokingly.

        Well, if that was how she
was going to play it... "Go on." He indicated the stairs with
a subtle jerk of his head. "You've got two particular someones waiting
for you."

        And she wanted very much
to go see them after that dream, honestly... but... "I'd rather you
not leave..."
I'd rather you not have to go back to wherever it is you
spend the night, by yourself... after this...

        "This isn't a one-time thing?"
he grinned, just a little.

        Her eyes narrowed even as
her expression softened. "Now that all depends on you." She
teased.

        He shook his head, shifting
the subject. "Go on." He invited again. "I'll stay here,
if you'd prefer. But only if I get breakfast."

        "Damn your demands."
She tossed back... glad to give into them. "Agreed. I'll see
you in the... well, afternoon, probably."

        "Morning."
He corrected. "Or it is not breakfast."

        "Damn. The things
I do for you." She narrowly avoided a look that may well have killed
in large doses, finding her way easily up the stairs and to the bedroom.

        It was too bad both of her
boys were already sleeping... but she was glad for it. Carefully,
moving as slowly and accurately as a cat, she slid into bed... and snuggled
between them. Tears threatened the corners of her eyes; her universe
was in tact. How she wished she could go back and tell Sora... to
have faith...

        But then, that had
been a dream... hadn't it? Despite the real feeling of it... the
real emotion... the memories...

        A dream? She wondered...
and really, she didn't want to know right then. But that Riku sure
was a hottie.

        Sheesh. Her and her
white-haired bitches.like me to inform you of.
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Fool's Journey