.:`'~ Legacy ~'`:.

Looking at my own reflection
When suddenly it changes
Violently it changes

Chapter Eleven

No. No, no, no, no, NO!

"Squall, you've got to kill her!"

There was no answer.

Cloud snarled. He was furious! He couldn't do anything! Trapped in a world that existed in someone's head without a way out. He didn't even know where First Tsurugi was! The weapon had been in his hand when he'd been in that nightmare, but it was nowhere in sight now. And even if he did have it what the hell would he try to hit with it? There were no walls to break, no doors to bash down and no enemies to attack. He was a prisoner in a world without limitations and he'd never felt so damned helpless!

He couldn't see what was happening but he could hear it, he could feel it. It permeated his entire being, making his body quiver with fear and anger and -

notagainpleasenotagainshe'sdead

It was getting harder for him to hear what was going on and the atmosphere around him was growing thick, dulling his senses. Cloud grunted and fell to a knee, caught unprepared for the sudden heavy weight that descended upon his body. He struggled against it. Ever since they'd arrived to wherever they'd gone, the Lifestream, -what was it doing here? Why couldn't he feel it?- Cloud had felt a strange pressure building against him. It was as if it had been trying to smother him; him and everything else in this bleak, empty landscape. And now that Squall was screaming it was furiously taking over everything in hues of vicious purple.

Cloud gasped for air as his limbs trembled beneath the weight pushing him down. It was painful, he could feel his entire body straining against it. In a way it was kind of strange; nostalgic in a bad way; after all when was the last time he'd ever had to struggle against something? His limbs were aching with a fierce, stinging pain. It was a strange, almost phantom like. He wasn't even sure if it was his own, not that he had to worry about it too much. A sharp throbbing sensation shot through his head and Cloud grimaced as it raked through his mind. Something warm trickled down his neck and chin and he quickly wiped it away without thinking, expecting to find blood but surprised to find that his glove came back clean. It was then he realized that this pain he felt, this heavy pressure, was an illusion. It wasn't his. It was Squall's.

"Squall!" He shouted again, moments before everything around him went dark, as if someone had simply turned off the light.

.:`'~ Legacy ~'`:.

Squall awoke to the warmth of the sun on his face and a bright light glowing through his darkened eyelids. He shifted slightly as he became aware of his body, warm beneath a thick comforter. He didn't want to wake up. The day was obviously beautiful and he felt so comfortable, so relaxed. When was the last time he'd slept like this? His entire being just felt so rested. The bed he lay on (he was pretty sure it was a bed) was soft and inviting. There was a soft, fresh breeze that told him a window was open and the faint call of a bird chirping completed the picture.

Turning onto his side, he dragged the thick blanket up over his head and buried his face against his pillow, curling his legs up. Taking another deep breath he was fully prepared to just sleep the day away when he heard a soft voice humming in the distance. He smiled immediately, comfortable with the knowledge that with the blanket to cover him no one would see. It was just a small crook of his lips anyways. The humming drew closer and he heard a door opening, soft footsteps padding closer to the where he lay. He pretended to be asleep.

"Squall Leonheart, I know you're awake~" The voice sung to him and his smile immediately turned to a scowl.

Something poked him through the comforter.

"Wakey wakey~"

"Nng." He garbled, clenching his fists around the blanket and pulling it tighter against him. He ignored the soft laughter and the accompanying poke, a little harder this time.

"You can't sleep in bed all day, we have work to do!"

Work? Couldn't he have just a single day off? He was always working. He never asked for off days. Maybe just this once, though. It couldn't hurt. Who else deserved a day off more than he did? He steadfastly refused to move and continued the charade.

A sigh was his answer and before he could react hands had grabbed his blanket and ripped it right off of him. Squall snarled like an angry dog at the perpetrator and grabbed his pillow, jamming his head beneath it and curling into a ball. The voice giggled and poked his leg. He grumbled.

"Come on, rise and shine. It's a beautiful day!"

"Not anymore." He growled back quietly, peeking out from beneath the pillow to see the edges of a familiar blue coat just beyond his vision. It moved closer to him, blocking out the golden light that came in through the open window. He let her remove the pillow and squinted up at her, adjusting to the light.

Rinoa smiled down at him. The light behind her surrounded her with a golden halo of light, dust glittering in the air as it floated through the room.

Beautiful.

"What was that?" She asked.

"Nothing." He answered when he found his breath. Slowly he sat up, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed... his legs... his leg. He paused suddenly and frowned, looking down at his thigh. Hadn't there been... something...

hot, putrid breath on his face, a stabbing pain in his leg

"What's wrong?" Rinoa asked him.

Squall shook his head. "Nothing."

"Come on!" She grabbed his hand and hauled him to his feet. Squall stumbled a moment before catching his balance. When had she gotten so strong? Oh well, more importantly, where were his clothes? He was dressed in a pair of loose shorts. That was a little odd he thought because he didn't like wearing shorts. Exposed skin always made him feel so... well, exposed.

"Your clothes are cleaning," Rinoa said, as if she'd read his mind. "They should be done here soon. Why don't you come eat breakfast first?"

It was then he noticed his stomach growling and he could smell eggs and bacon in the air. He was hungry, he realized. "Alright."

Rinoa rubbed his hand for a moment before patting it and letting go. She turned and lead the way out as Squall followed. Rinoa began to hum again as they walked down the hall towards the kitchen. The kitchen of a house that wasn't theirs, he remembered that now. It didn't really matter though, where else were they expected to stay? Especially at a time like this.

"How long have I been sleeping?" He asked as he approached the table, pulling out a chair where a plate was laid out. Fresh scrambled eggs and a few slices of bacon filled it, and there was a glass of milk set out as well. He sat down and took a fork, eager to get the gnawing ache in his stomach to leave him alone. The food smelled delicious and tasted the same, although he did sprinkle some salt and pepper on the food for a little bit of an added zest.

"Not too long," She said, sitting next to him. "Twelve hours or so." She smiled as she watched him.

Squall paused in his meal, "Sorry." He wasn't sure what for.

"It's alright. You needed some time to recover. How do you feel?"

He took a moment to consider, running a mental check-up through his entire body. For some reason he felt like he should be feeling something. An ache or a pain. Especially in his leg, and a part of him thought his head or chest too but... nothing. It was silly. "Fine." He finally said, looking at her, "Perfect, actually." He felt refreshed. Renewed and ready for anything.

"Great!" She clapped her hands together. "Okay! So, I was thinking after you're done eating we'll take a trip. But first I have to ask you something very important, okay?"

He nodded.

"Do you remember in the Northern Crater, at that base place, when you were fighting the great big monster?"

Squall nodded again. How could he ever forget?

Rinoa seemed excited by this, scooting closer to him. "Great! Okay, now. In that fight you managed to summon something. Do you remember? The cute guy with blonde hair?"

He felt a stirring of jealousy in his heart but pushed it aside. It was petty. This was much more important. "Yeah. Cloud."

Rinoa squealed, clapping her hands together excitedly again. "Great! Is that his name? Can you bring him out again? I wanna see him."

Squall hesitated, tilting his head to the side. "Why?" He asked, mildly suspicious.

Rinoa giggled. "I wanna talk to him. I think he's got something I need."

Squall looked at her evenly, "That's it?"

She nodded again, suddenly crooking an eyebrow and batting her eyelashes. "Aww, why, is Squally jealous?"

He huffed and returned to his meal. "No."

"That settles it then. After you're done eating, we'll go and -"

"I can't."

The room grew a little darker. "Eh? Whattya meant ya can't?"

"It won't work anymore. The materia I used."

"Materia...? Wait." Rinoa's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"I mean it's dead. It won't work again. I tried it and it did nothing. Vincent and Nanaki..." His voice trailed as a strange flag of alarm rose in his head. Should he really be telling her this?

"Squall~" Her voice chimed in his head, clearer than any of his own thoughts.

"Said it might be because the Lifestream was gone." He finished, feeling a little strange for hesitating.

"Huh. Really. But the Lifestream isn't gone, remember?"

Oh, that's right. Squall frowned, setting his fork down and sitting back in his chair. He folded his arms over his bare chest, a thrill of excitement running through him at the new strength he felt in such a small act. All that training must be paying off. "Maybe it just takes time." He guessed.

Rinoa was looking at him with a seriously thoughtful expression, her eyebrows drawn low and her lips set in practically a pout.

"What?" He asked.

"Well.. I was just thinking, it just sort of occurred to me. You summoned him, right?"

"Yeah. With the materia. I figured it must be used like Draw points, so I drew and cast it. It didn't work again afterwards, though."

"Did it ever occur to you that because he's a summon, he won't be in the materia anymore?"

"What do you mean?" Squall asked, feeling the beginnings of a realization dawn on him.

"Well, in your old world, when you drew out a summon you could junction it, right? What if you mistakenly, unknowingly, junctioned him?"

"But I didn't..." Squall began, recalling the memory vividly. How could ever forget it? It had been extremely painful but he remembered taking extra care to simply not draw it, but use it. A draw and cast. Although, Rinoa had a point. What if he'd somehow, accidentally and without knowing it, junctioned Cloud?

That would explain the -

The what?

Squall frowned, searching for the memory. The... something. What was it? What had he forgotten?

"You should try it anyways." Rinoa said, "Summoning him that is. Just to be sure, right? It couldn't hurt."

Oh, but it could hurt. Squall knew this all too well. But, who was he to deny her? She was everything. His world, his star and sun, his universe. He looked at her, feeling a warmth spread through him. "It's worth a shot."

She smiled at him, reaching across the table and patting him on the head as if he were a puppy. "Good boy! Now, I think your clothes are done. Let's get you dressed. Go on and I'll bring them to you."

Squall stood obediently and began to head out of the kitchen when her voice stopped him. "Wait."

He turned, lifted an eyebrow in question. Rinoa was looking at him as if she was just realizing something.

"What was that name you said?"

"Cloud."

"Cloud..." She suspected something, that much was evident in her voice. Of what, he wasn't sure. Not that it mattered to him, anyways. "Cloud..." She said again, tapping her chin. "Interesting. Do you know his last name?"

Searching through his memories of the conversation he'd had with Saitek at the mansion in Nibelheim, Squall shook his head.

Rinoa bit her thumb gently in thought. "I wonder... That's kind of an odd name, don't you think?"

Squall shrugged. He really couldn't care less. In fact, he was more concerned with the fact she seemed so interested in the guy.

Rinoa waved her hands dismissively suddenly, "Sorry, go ahead! I'll be there in a second!"

Squall headed out of the kitchen, walking down the hallway back to the bedroom. He paused along the way next to a door, peering into the darkened bathroom. On impulse he stepped in, flicking the light on. He turned towards the mirror on his right, his reflection looked back at him. Reaching up he lightly scratched at the scar that divided his face, peering closer when something caught his attention. When he looked closely enough... his eyes. They were... purple? Not entirely. But the neutral hue of his iris were flecked with it, and the edges of his pupils were rimmed in green.

"Squall, here are your clothes." Rinoa stood in the doorway, her arms full of black leather and belts. She huffed, "I don't know why you wear so many belts."

Squall had to refrain from rolling his eyes. "I only wear two."

"Yeah, around your waist, but there's like three more around your leg."

"Something's wrong with my eyes," Squall murmured, continuing to stare into the mirror. Rinoa quirked an eyebrow and walked in closer, her doe eyes narrowing as she studied him.

"Whatcha mean?"

"They're purple."

"They've always been that way, Squall."

He was about to say something but remained silent, trying to remember the last time he'd looked closely at his eyes. He turned away from the mirror, taking his clothes from her. "You're right."

Rinoa smiled and left, leaving Squall to change. He emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later in full leather glory, the soft clink of his belts signifying his approach to the main living room where Rinoa waited. Squall stood in the entrance for a moment, his graypurple eyes observing the room briefly. He didn't remember having been in here yet. It didn't look much different than the rest of the house, plain and contemporary with a bit of a lavish oriental flair. On one side of the living room the wall was decorated with a large tiger tapestry and there were photos lined up on the wall connecting to it. Each photo had a smiling face and a pleasant look. Portraits. A family. Squall didn't recognize any of them, although it brought back a flash of a memory. A room much bluer than this, with photographs everywhere. Mostly of landscapes, but he recalled seeing something more. A large sword, impossibly broad. Dust.

"Come along~" Rinoa sung, and Squall escaped from his thoughts to follow her outside of the house and into the bright day outside, pausing only to grab the gunblade without really thinking about it. He'd need it, he was certain. The sun was high but slowly dipping and there were only the faintest of clouds drifting through the blue expanse. A gentle, cool breeze brushed by. It was very relaxing and Squall realized he'd never felt better.

A hand brushed his arm gently, and with that feather soft touch sparks traveled through his body. He turned and looked at Rinoa, who looked at him with a flash of purple eyes. "Rinoa-"

"Hm?"

"Nothing." He said, feeling his lips tug upwards in a rare, faint smile.

Rinoa grinned at him, the expression seemed strange for her but he couldn't place why. "Come along," She said again, walking ahead of him and clasping her hands behind her back. She paused and looked over her shoulder, "A knight should always follow his princess, right Squall?"

He nodded, a quick dip of his head and followed her. They walked for about a quarter of an hour through an empty village. If he really cared to notice he'd find the darkened spots concerning, they looked a lot like old blood. Congealed and dry as though it'd been there for days. Some of the other houses were in horrible condition, and he vaguely wondered if the village had a lazy repairman. It certainly needed one. In fact, it seemed like nearly all the houses and buildings except for the one they'd walked out of had been damaged horribly. What a lousy village, he mused. No wonder they were all gone-

-

"Here we are." Rinoa said, stopping abruptly. Squall stopped immediately without thinking about it. He didn't want to bump into her, after all. Although, he wondered if he'd feel those sparks again... those wonderful, tickling surges of energy...

"Squaaaalll~" Her voice called to him again, stirring him from his thoughts. She was giggling at him and he again had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. Instead, he focused on the strange creature in front of her. It looked like a mutated baby chocobo, with a beak three times as long and lined with backward curving, serrated teeth. It still had a few feathers but they were few and in between, poking out from beneath overlaying scales that scratched over each other every time it moved. Instead of a soft, feathery tail it had a long serpentine one with a hooked stinger at the end of it. Other than that, though, it was definitely a baby chocobo.

Rinoa knelt down next to it, cooing as she scratched it's head. It leaned into her touch and growled appreciatively, though Squall thought it sounded worse than Selphie's singing. He grimaced.

"Oh? Is that so?" Rinoa murmured and Squall focused on her. He knew without wondering why that she was listening to it tell her something, and also knew that whatever it was it was very important. The situation was no longer calm and relaxed, he could feel the tension rising in the air. Even though Rinoa seemed quite pleased by the news, he wasn't. After all, what were they doing here?

Did he just understand a baby chocobo?

Damn it.

Rinoa looked at him over her shoulder, her purple eyes flashing as her pupils narrowed into feline slivers. "Your friends have finally arrived," She said, sighing as she stood. "I suppose it's okay. Probably on time, actually. Besides, we could use this to out advantage. I think it's time to see what you can do, Knight."

Squall, filled with a sense of purpose, straightened without hesitation. He felt a powerful shudder of excitement run through him and knew without question that his eyes mirrored her own.

Rinoa stood and walked over until their bodies were close enough to touch. She was purring in her throat and reached up with a hand to gently cradle his jaw, running her fingertips down his neck as she coo'd in a soft, lovely voice that he simply could not deny. He felt his knees grow weak as those wonderful sparks of energy ran through him again, setting his nerves on fire and his senses into overdrive.

"How shall we deal with them, Knight?"

"I'll get rid of them for you," He murmured, his eyes locked with hers glowing purple ones. He felt himself drowning in them.

"How will you do that?" She asked with a whisper.

"I'll kill them."

"Good boy... and I know just how you'll do it."

.:`'~ Legacy ~'`:.

"We're here." Vincent's deep voice rumbled over the roar of the helicopter's engines and blades.

Nanaki sat up to look out of the window, standing on his rear legs to see better. His right ear turned as Saitek hopped up next to him.

"Aww man I can't see!" The cub whined, quickly changing his position to stand on the seat next to Nanaki. Now the cub could look out of the small viewing window when he popped up on his back legs. "Wow, lookit that! That's nothing like the Canyon or the Northern Crater!" It wasn't that Saitek hadn't seen forests before, but this forest was different. The trees had different shapes and colors and if he squinted he could make out birds and various game animals that were different than anything he'd seen before. It all looked so... so... awesome!

"Saitek, be careful you don't fall-" His father started, just as an unexpected wind of turbulence caused the helicopter to shudder violently. The cub, not expecting the disruption, fell to the floor with a heavy thud.

"Oof! ….Ooowww, my taaaail-uh!" He whined pitifully.

Nanaki huffed and looked over. "You still have much to learn, don't you? Be careful."

Saitek sat up with a shake of his head, his thickening mane and the feathers decorating his untattered ear flicking side to side noisily. "Yeah yeah yeah. Common mistake! It could happen to anyone." He boasted with a grin full of sharp teeth.

Nanaki turned his head away before rolling his eyes. He continued to survey the ground hundreds of feet beneath them. "There's the village."

Kyosa, Nanaki knew, was a small village in the southern portion of Wutai. It wasn't really known for much of anything. Unlike Wutai's central cities and upper half of the continent, the southern half was more of a forgotten territory for tourists and businesses. It was here that Wutai's people and their traditions held the strongest. Nanaki didn't expect to see much of anything, but he couldn't help but notice a small tremor of wariness run through his body as he surveyed the seemingly lifeless landscape.

"It's quiet." He murmured.

"Well, d'uh. Even you can't hear them from up here Dad."

Nanaki couldn't resist swatting at his cub with his tail.

"Ow! Watch the flame, watch the flame!"

Saitek quickly hopped away, dashing into the available passenger seat next to the pilot. Vincent didn't seem to take notice. The man was looking over the scenery beneath them with a studious expression and Saitek sort of got the hint that something was up. Call it cat-sense. "Right Vincent?" He said in an effort to break the darkening silence that surrounded the man.

"Nanaki is right. It's quiet."

Saitek's ears dropped.

Nanaki spoke up behind him, nearly causing the cub to jump out of his fur. But thankfully, his wonderful, superb senses kept him from looking like he was surprised. He turned his head and grinned at his dad.

"Are we going to land near the village?" The elder Lienliek asked.

Vincent nodded affirmatively, "Half a mile or so outside of it..." He said, his voice lowering suddenly.

"What is it?" Nanaki asked.

"The Lifestream." Vincent replied, the surprise in his voice actually noticeable.

Nanaki's eyes widened, "The Lifestream? What...?" He quickly turned back to the other window where he'd get a better view. This time the landscape had changed a little. The forest they'd been flying over had given way to a small river of green water – no. Not water. Nanaki could feel the energy of life vibrating throughout his entire body. His eyes widened. "It really is... Saitek! Come look!"

"I see it!" The cub called from the cabin. "Is that.. wow, what is that? Holy crap! It... I feel like... Oh wow!"

Nanaki couldn't help but to smile. The Lifestream was here... it was here. And not just as a pocket of Mako or random spring. But a flowing river that stretched out into the distance. Wisps of green tendrils floated off of it's surface like a mist and he could see the land around it had erupted into a bright, beautiful green expanse of color.

"Vincent!" He called, "Land us here!"

Vincent didn't give a verbal acknowledgement, but the helicopter began to descend. The closer they got to the river the more Nanaki felt like his old self again, his younger, more energetic self. He could feel the energy humming through his bones. It filled with a sense of glee he hadn't felt in decades. He felt like a cub again.

By the time the helicopter had landed, Saitek had moved to his side and was bouncing from paw to paw. Both of their tails lashed in excited unison and the moment Vincent opened the doors the two Lienliek's had bolted from the door. Saitek laughed as he dashed past his father, caught by surprise when Nanaki suddenly caught up to him. He swerved to the side to try and interrupt the older cat's speed only to watch with amazement as his father simply leaped over him.

It had become a race. The air was filled with the smell of flowers and the sparkling wisps that rose from the river a few yards away. There was so much life in the air that it was nearly intoxicating. Both of the large cats were bounding as though they hadn't a care in the world. Saitek wasn't sure why he felt so... so liberated but he did. It was the best feeling he'd ever had in his entire life! What was it? Why was it? He wanted more of it!

He ran over his dad in the excitement, not noticing how the older Lienliek had come to a stop next to the river. "Oof!"

Nanaki grunted, stumbling forward a few steps until his front paws were at the very edge of the river. Despite the liquid mass of the river it didn't seem to soak into the ground at the edges, rather it lifted upwards into those spiderweb like tendrils. Tendrils that weaved around his paws and through the air, rising past his face where he took in a deep breath and released it. With that breath it felt like everything that was bad and evil was gone from the world, taking every fear and concern of his with it. That everything would be okay.

His ear turned towards Saitek as he caught wind of the cub's loud purr rumbling out of his chest. Nanaki pulled his muzzle back into a pleasant smile, tilting his head to look at his son through the corners of his eyes. This was the first time his cub had ever been so near to the Lifestream in his entire life. While the thought severely depressed the Lienliek, he felt pride and happiness surge throughout his being at the sight of the younger cat seeming so relaxed, content in the presence of the very planets life blood.

"This is the Lifestream, Saitek." Nanaki rumbled appreciatively. Saitek lowered down to his belly next to the river, rolling onto his side as his burning tail flopped playfully on the ground. He felt a speech coming on.

Nanaki didn't hear Vincent, but his ear swiveled towards the ex-Turk as he approached them slowly. He continued to speak to his son, his voice dropping to a low murmur, "I always feared you would not have the chance to see it."

Saitek rolled his head and body until he was on his back, all four paws dangling in the air loosely. "What is it Dad? I mean.. I know what it is but I've never felt so... so..." The cub, at a loss for words, was only able to increase the volume of his purring and wriggle around on the riverbank's edge. His eyes closed and he said, "I can almost hear voices."

Nanaki's smile widened at this. "That is a good thing. Our kind, we are close to the Lifestream. Closer than most other living creatures in this world." He began to say, pleased that he was able to teach his son even at a time like this, "We're an ancient species, Saitek. It is said we existed alongside the Ancients, the Cetra. We know how to listen with more than our ears. We listen with our hearts and our spirits. And if we listen closely enough, we are able to hear the Lifestream itself. The voices you hear are the memories of all those who have returned to the planet, spoken to us from the Cetra that now exist within the Lifestream itself." (1)

He looked down at his son again, who to his surprise was paying avid attention to him. The cub was now laying on his stomach, there were tufts of grass, leaves and flower caught in his coat and mane. The cub's eyes were wide and open, and Nanaki could see within them the promise of a future. A future that may not be his, but a future that his children and his children's children would carry on their backs. The thought that they would have to do so without his guidance or that of the Lifestream was heavy enough to dampen his lightened spirits and his smile died slowly.

"Dad?" Saitek asked, his head lowering with concern at his father's sudden change.

Nanaki shook his head, resting a paw between his son's ears.

"OW!"

He quickly jerked his paw off, "What?"

"My eeeeaaaarrrr!" Saitek wailed, crossing his paws over his head as he whined loudly. The stitches in his tattered ear were still quite sensitive and the entire thing was sore, and his father had unintentionally pulled on them.

Nanaki gave his cub an apologetic look. "Sorry."

Saitek continued to howl, reminding Nanaki that his son was still a cub. He sighed and rolled his eyes, inhaling the scent of the flowers around them deeply.

He smelled something else, as well. His ears perked up and he turned his head, sniffing again. He recognized that smell... Blood. Old blood, but blood. Here? It was so out of place that it sent his senses spiraling with alarm. He stood and followed the scent carefully.

When Saitek noticed his yowling wasn't getting him anywhere, and that his dad was ignoring him, he stopped long enough to notice that the older Lienliek had turned away and was walking slowly with his nose in the air. "Dad?"

Nanaki didn't answer him and continued to follow the scent. He noticed Vincent watching him with a guarded expression that he quickly interpreted into curiosity, so he said, "I smell blood."

"Blood?" Vincent asked.

"HA! I knew it! You are a vampire!"

The ex-Turk ignored the cub, following Nanaki as he slowly pinpointed the source. It was strangely enough only a few yards away and when he stopped he was standing before a few large gray boulders that lined up off the riverbank. Nanaki lowered his head, searching the dark green and brown surface of the ground.

Vincent swept past him, kneeling down next to the rock. He touched it's surface, scratching at a few of the darker spots before pulling his hand away and studying his fingertips. Bringing his fingers to his nose he sniffed at them curiously. "This is it." He murmured, looking at Nanaki.

Nanaki heard the unspoken question and suddenly turned to his son. "Saitek."

"Yeah Dad?" The cub bounded over.

"What do you smell?"

Saitek gave him a funny look. "Blood, obviously."

"Focus and smell again. What do you smell?"

Unsure of what his father was getting at, Saitek sighed, "Do I havta?" The thought of smelling blood was just gross. He scrunched his nose but lowered his head to Vincent's head, taking in a deep whiff -

"It's Leon!" The cub howled, his eyes widening. "It's his blood! He's hurt!"

"Calm down Saitek. This is old. It may have been from when he was taken here – "

"It's not that old! Dad! Vincent! We gotta find him!"

A sudden voice interrupted them, "Find who?"

All three looked up to see Squall Leonheart standing in front of them.

Silence became mandatory, it cut through the air too quickly to let any of them speak. Surprise showed on Nanaki's face, his eyes widening as he wondered of all things how Squall had managed to approach them so quietly. Vincent, of course, held no true expression, but his deep crimson eyes were narrowed and he was studying Squall critically, as if he were a target.

Saitek on the other hand was just as surprised as his father, but there was an energy running through his body was bound to explode. When his little body couldn't take it anymore and the silence was changing into something more suspicious and deadly he ignored it, bolting forwards without warning as he howled with delight, "Leon!"

Nanaki started forward as if to stop his son, but stopped himself instead. He didn't know why he felt so strangely just now. His fur was bristling with the warning of danger in the air but he couldn't place it. The only thing out of place was Squall himself, but Squall wasn't a danger. Not to Saitek... But why did he feel like something was different, changed?

He studied Squall, knowing Vincent was doing the same. Vincent's vision was better, though. So just as Nanaki found out what was wrong Vincent was already shouting out, "Saitek! Stop!"

But it was too late. The cub was close enough now that even though Saitek had finally spotted the strange purple, feline eyes that Leon now sported he couldn't back away. Besides, it didn't matter, because it was Leon and he was alive! The sharpness of Vincent's deep voice startled him enough to make him hesitate and he promptly stumbled over his large paws, falling into a large, loud tumble as he rolled along the ground, the world spinning around him. He hit something sturdy that barely gave way beneath the weight of his impact, even though his breath was knocked out of him. "Oof!"

"Ugh." Saitek coughed and squinted to see his father's worried, angry expression in the distance. Vincent, like the vampire ghost he was, haunted his father by standing directly next to him. Cerberus was in his hand and it was aiming towards Leon.

And Leon...

Saitek looked up to see that the sturdy wall he'd hit was actually Leon's legs, who was looking at Vincent with a strange smirk on his lips. When he suddenly looked down at Saitek, the cub gasped. "Leon, your eyes-" He started, only to yelp when Leon suddenly reached down and without effort, haul him into the air by the scruff of his neck, his fist curling into his grip. Instinct took over, it was an old vague instinct that reminded him of milk and warmth, but Saitek couldn't resist it. He curled, tucking his tail into his belly as pain shot through his back from the tight grip Leon held on him. "Ow, Ow! Leon! That hurts! Leggo!" He howled, his limbs feeling stiff and unable to struggle.

"Saitek!" Nanaki belted, then snarled as his fur hackled and the flame on his tail burst into a roaring fire. "Squall! Put him down!" The large cat snarled, feeling his claws dig into the soft earth at his feet as he braced himself.

Squall held Saitek up at shoulder height. It was uncanny, the ease with which he held the large cub was as if Saitek weighed no more than a rabbit. Squall had a strange grin on his face, at least, strange to anyone who knew him. It was malicious. It was dark. It had intentions.

"Put him down?" Squall said, shaking the cub in his hands. Nanaki's heart was racing, it felt like it would explode in his chest. His cub yelped in pain and all of his instincts screamed at him to save him and it took all of his willpower to stop his body from charging forward. He was afraid that if he did move, that whatever Squall had become would be the death of his cub.

"Vincent," Nanaki whispered fiercely, his voice torn, "His eyes-"

"I know." Vincent said, keeping Cerberus trained on Squall. He could shoot the man, that wouldn't be a problem. He could shoot him without injuring Saitek. The only thing that stopped him was the certainty that a single bullet, or even three, probably wouldn't be enough to stop him from doing something horrible to Saitek. But maybe a shot through the head would be enough to stall him long enough for Nanaki to dart in and rescue his son.

"Leon, what are you doing? Please, pumme down! It hurts Leon!" The cub yelped with a high-pitched whine when Squall shook him again, using an unnecessarily vicious force this time that had Saitek crying out painfully.

"My name is Squall," the mercenary snarled, "Stop calling me Leon!"

And then three things happened nearly at once.

With a single, easy flick of his arm Squall threw the cub through the air.

A gunshot thundered in their ears and a spark of fire ignited as the bullet met steel.

The last thing Nanaki heard or saw of his son was Saitek's terrified scream and tumbling form before it disappeared into the Lifestream river.

…...:`' ~ Author's Notes ~'`:...

1) I sort of made this part up.

Another somewhat short chapter. Sorry. I just felt like being a devil and ending it there, mwahaha. But hey! I got it up a lot quicker this time, right? So, surprise! Hee.

I'm still looking for a co-conspirator for Legacy, as well as someone for the Bleach idea I have. This chapter is unedited, so any mistakes are my own.

Please review! Tell me what you think, how can I improve! For those who reviewed and sent me notes for the last chapter, thank you! It's fun to see what people think of the story and where they think it's going go go. I was hoping for more, selfishly enough, but hey I'll take what I can get!

Next Chapter :: Squall versus Vincent!