Redemption Frägment

Chapter Nine: The Princess and the General

“No! Absolutely not!”

“Ah, c’mon, Donald! You and both know that the gummi ship can hold more than three people! Cid modified it for us so it would.”

“The answer is still no!”

“Gawrsh, Donald. Just let him try. They may not even want to come anyway.”

“The answer is still no!” Donald repeated.

“What the hell, Donald? What’s wrong with you? I’m gonna go ask them and there’s nothing you can do to stop me. Even if they don’t come, I’ll still know I tried. I am NOT going to carry your feathery ass all the way to the gummi ship again.”

Sora pushed open the doors of Olympus Coliseum and bolted away from the irate duck, leaving Goofy to deal with him. He felt sorry for the dog, but he knew Goofy wouldn’t use physical force to get him to shut up.

The spiky-haired teen bypassed the arena, innately knowing the men he was looking for wouldn’t be there until they were needed. They were strange that way and awfully alike that way as well. The only difference between Sephiroth and Leon, really, was that Leon didn’t get the cool theme music playing while he got his ass kicked. Sora couldn’t help the grin at the memory. First time he’d tried to fight the mighty General, he’d gotten his ass handed to him on a silver platter. The second time, he’d wiped the floor with Sephiroth.

And he still didn’t get to call him “Seph” like he’d been promised.

But he didn’t want to get gutted with Masamune. He liked living.

Sora wandered around the apartment buildings that had sprung up to house the different competitors, electric blue eyes sweeping the grounds for any sigh of chocolate brown or silver complimented with black leather. Maybe they were at the café? Doubt it. It was only what? noon? They could possibly still be sleeping. Lucky bastards.

He wandered toward Leon’s apartment. Passing through the halls, he heard a shout, a scream, and a crash. He bolted toward the sounds, knowing who screamed. When he reached the scene of the crime, he leaned against the wall, panting lightly. He couldn’t help but grin at the sight. It was too priceless.

Donald was pinned against the wall by his jacket, a rather long sword being the thing holding him there. Goofy stood off to the side, a hand pressed to his muzzle, and to the left of him was Leon, with a hand covering his eyes.

A broken bowl lay on the floor.

Steaming noodles and broth slowly seeped out around the fragments of the bowl.

A pissed off, hyperventilating, silver-haired madman stood before the duck, arm still forward from throwing his beloved sword.

“I am going to kill you.” Sephiroth bit out, spacing out each word and adding tons of malice to his voice as he approached the shaking avian.

Sora moved between the raging SOLDIER and his target, hands held up in obvious surrender. “Aw, let him live for right now, Sephiroth. We’re going to need fodder, you know. He’s bait.”

Cat-like green eyes narrowed at the boy, but the General drew back nodding, reaching over Sora’s shoulder to remove Masamune from the wall. Judging by Donald’s yelp, the man had managed to slice some feathers and skin.

That would satisfy him for a while.

Now get him to actually listen and hopefully agree to what Sora was going to propose.

“I’m sure you’ve got more somewhere. We’ll make Donald clean this up with a toothbrush and–”

“Toothpick.”

Donald shivered from the coldness and the rather joyful tone the nihilistic madman spoke with.

“Okay, toothpick. And we’ll get you more ramen and even some green tea. How’s that sound?”

“Only half as good as frying the damn bird, but I’ll let him live for that.” He sheathed Masamune and moved from the hallway to his apartment, with Leon, Goofy, and Sora following at a respectful distance behind him. Sephiroth sat at the table as Sora hurried to make his food and drink. Previous lessons had taught them all it was better to do things for the General when he was like this.

Once the man had what he wanted, the Sora joined Leon, Goofy, and Sephiroth at the table. A staring contest between Sora and Leon was just beginning to get started when it was interrupted by Goofy, the sneeze still echoing in the apartment.

“So. Sora.” Sephiroth muttered, pinning the boy with a stare. “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be looking for Riku?”

“I am.” Sora replied. “Just came from Hollow Bastion. Belle gave me some crappy leads and I’m going to follow them. But I’m here to ask if you and Leon wanted to come along.”

“And why would we want to do that?” Leon spoke finally, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms across his chest.

“For the adventure?”

The General made a sound crossed between a snort and choking. Leon merely stared at him.

“And what kind of adventure would this be?”

“I dunno. But do you two really want to stay here, fighting in the Coliseum against the same enemies over and over again? Wouldn’t you rather fight something that would present a challenge and get messy? I bet you’re itching to bury Lion Heart in something other than Heartless flesh. And Sephiroth too. I know for a fact he’d like to put Masamune through a certain pink-wearing woman again.”

“That I would. Those bookcases in the Bastion library are perfect.” The silver-haired man smirked at Sora, the boy shying away with a nervous smile.

“Come on, what do you say?” Sora asked, almost pleading. “Won’t you come along?”

“And where are we going?” asked Leon, leaning forward now in feigned interest, fingers steepled with his chin resting on his thumbs.

“We’re going to go to Bedouin first. That’s where the trail warms up. We follow that trail and we find Riku.”

The General assumed a similar pose as Leon, one leg crossing the other at the knee, his face blank and guarded. “What’s in it for us if we do go?”

“Besides getting to kill things and blow things up?” Sora asked, a forced smile appearing on his face to cover his discomfort.

That silver head dipped once in a nod.

“Um. Finding the people you’re looking for? I’d pay you, but I don’t have a hell of a lot of cash.”

Leon just smirked at the brown-haired boy. Despite the nerves and the uneasiness, the boy was desperate to have them in the party. He glanced once at Sephiroth and then back to Sora.

“Very well. I’ll go with you.”

Sora grinned at the gunbladist, refraining from giving a very undignified squeal. “Thanks Leon! You won’t regret it!”

“I hope not.” Slowly, Leon’s head turned toward the silent silver-haired man across from him. “What about you, Sephiroth?”

The sound of the chair scraping back was the first part of their answer. The second came when the General stalked toward the door. The third and final part of their answer came in words.

“I’ll think about it.” Sephiroth turned to give Sora a slashing glare. “Don’t leave without my answer, Sora, or I’ll take you into the arena and beat your ass to the point Riku won’t be able to tell who you are.”

The door slammed.

The three sat in silence. Finally, Leon stood and moved toward his bedroom.

“I’ll get ready. I’m assuming we’re meeting on the steps in front of the World Exit?”

Sora nodded. “World Exit doors, whenever you’re ready. But like Sephiroth said, we’re not leaving without his answer.”

Leon nodded and vanished into his room. Sora and Goofy took their leave to check up on Donald and with Sora sniggering the whole way, they left to sit at the World Exit steps to wait.