Scarred hope

Shiva woofs at her Lion, nosing Selphie's arm before moving across the space between the two to do the same to Leon.

Leon laughs out a pained breath, and he shakes his head at her insistence. It definitely was Selphie.

"No," he says, giving her the look of death that came from his younger days. The same look that was often given to Yuffie when she was being too much. Which was frequent enough.

"It's been seven years since Archipelgo and Ultemecia," he was allowed to doubt his eyes and ears at first for that reason.

The Gunblader's brows furrowed before he spoke again, telling her what he felt for seven years in seven simple words.

"I thought all of you were dead."

That truth had hung over him when Cloud and Aerith, Tifa, Yuffie and Cid had each other. That he was alone again after all the effort it had taken to open himself up to the other SeeDs and Rinoa.

Leon had thought he was past losing his companions, opening up again here to the others in the Restoration Committee. But seeing Selphie reopened the pain, as he felt responsible for them.

Especially if he believed that he was completely alone again, and his tone made her brows rise in surprise.

"Dead?" She repeated, as though she was trying to jog her own memory of what could have happened to make him think that everyone else was long gone. Through the haze of her own memory, she was pretty certain that there wasn't any sort of incident that would warrant thinking that all of them were in grave danger.

She wanted to deny it on the rest of the team's sake, but she couldn't trust her own mind at the moment. Not when there was clearly a chunk missing between what had been her normal day-to-day life and waking up here, perhaps even more that she couldn't currently recall.

"I don't know what happened, or where everyone else is," she admitted, trying to choose her words carefully, "but at least you and I are reunited now. That's gotta count for something, right? You don't have to tell me what you went through right now if you don't want to."

"It does," that they were reunited meant the world to him. Knowing that Selphie had survived allowed him a flicker of hope for the others to have survived as well.

Leon appreciated that Selphie was upfront and understanding of the fact that these last seven years had not been easy. That he was not ready to share it all just yet.

"Let's get you back to the town, this area is prone to having Heartless attacks. They are a monster that feeds on people's metaphorical heart and will turn you into one of them."

Gesturing with his shoulder and chin for them to walk back toward Radiant Garden.

Yet.

Squall. The only person who called him that was Yuffie, and she knew he would correct her every time she used it. Even Shiva called him 'her Lion' when she telepathically spoke to him.

The name made him stop dead.

Taking in the woman in front of him again. Different clothes and a matured face confused the brunette for a moment. The gunblade vanished as he took a halting step toward Selphie. They were his responsibility, his SeeD, or had he forgotten them entirely?

Leadership that was put on shoulders that barely sustained the weight. Paperwork and administration duties that ate up his life. His frustration that was often brushed away by her laughter and a light-hearted conversation. Her excitement for life and it's wonders.

Leon swallows. "Selphie?"

But there's still something there in the way that he reacts simply from saying that name, something that makes her wonder if perhaps she's mistaken, or if he's actually completely forgotten her, and that's why he didn't seem to know who she was.

Once he speaks her name, however, Selphie visibly brightens and nods immediately. "That's me, in the flesh!"

At least there's one worry taken care of, knowing at least one person in this...place she's landed in. Although there's certainly a lot more discussion that would need to take place, but the where and how and why could be left for a later time.

Shiva woofs at her Lion, nosing Selphie's arm before moving across the space between the two to do the same to Leon.

Leon laughs out a pained breath, and he shakes his head at her insistence. It definitely was Selphie.

"No," he says, giving her the look of death that came from his younger days. The same look that was often given to Yuffie when she was being too much. Which was frequent enough.

"It's been seven years since Archipelgo and Ultemecia," he was allowed to doubt his eyes and ears at first for that reason.

The Gunblader's brows furrowed before he spoke again, telling her what he felt for seven years in seven simple words.

"I thought all of you were dead."

That truth had hung over him when Cloud and Aerith, Tifa, Yuffie and Cid had each other. That he was alone again after all the effort it had taken to open himself up to the other SeeDs and Rinoa.

Leon had thought he was past losing his companions, opening up again here to the others in the Restoration Committee. But seeing Selphie reopened the pain, as he felt responsible for them.

I'm sorry, everyone. Hopefully, I will be back sooner rather than later. In the meantime, you can find me on Discord under NathanaelRoyale.

Leon trained by hunting heartless and vented his frustrations with reconstruction and his leadership role by hunting heartless. The white malamute was not far from him as they walked. Leon's gunblade propped on his shoulder. The malamute sniffed the air and barked, taking off.

-There is someone nearby.-

Eyes narrowing at that news, Leon sped up, not knowing what to expect. Were they from the city, lost out here? Were they hunting heartless as well?

He heard her last call and came around the shoulder of a cavern wall. Leon had not changed much stylistically in the nine years since the world of Archipelago had fallen. He wore his leathers, with far too many belts, and a white T-shirt beneath his black bomber jacket. Griever glinted in the sun, hitting his chest as he moved quickly. His hair was a little longer than it was back then, but that tell-tale scar still crossed his nose.

Seeing the woman ahead, Leon looks sharply around for Heartless. But seeing none at the moment he approaches, he is still somewhat wary. This area is not safe. Leon does not remember this woman's face, but then he cannot memorise everyone in Radiant Garden. Still, something tugs at his mind, a sense of recollection.

The white malamute came to Selphie's side and began to sniff at her. Confused as to who this was as well.

Leon gestures toward Selphie with a black-leather gloved hand, "I'm here. Are you alright?"

Thankfully, she wasn’t kept waiting long, just brushing her clothes off when the dog came running over, and motion followed not far behind. Selphie did look up at the man further back to notice that he didn’t seem like he was approaching in a threatening manner, and she felt okay leaving her guard down as her attention shifted downwards.

“Oh! Aren’t you just the cutest rescue dog!” She said, bending down and holding her hand out as a friendly gesture to the dog to sniff, briefly ignoring the question while her attention was on his canine companion. After a moment, she straightened back up and addressed him properly. “Yeah, I’m…fine…”

Selphie trailed off once she actually got a good look at the man who had answered her call, and for a few seconds, couldn’t believe her eyes. He was looking at her as though she was a complete stranger, and he didn’t look quite the same as she remembered, but… Those clothes, the weapon, his necklace, his scar…

It couldn’t be anyone but him.

Yet.

Squall. The only person who called him that was Yuffie, and she knew he would correct her every time she used it. Even Shiva called him 'her Lion' when she telepathically spoke to him.

The name made him stop dead.

Taking in the woman in front of him again. Different clothes and a matured face confused the brunette for a moment. The gunblade vanished as he took a halting step toward Selphie. They were his responsibility, his SeeD, or had he forgotten them entirely?

Leadership that was put on shoulders that barely sustained the weight. Paperwork and administration duties that ate up his life. His frustration that was often brushed away by her laughter and a light-hearted conversation. Her excitement for life and it's wonders.

Leon swallows. "Selphie?"

She awoke in a heap on the ground, taking a few moments to regain her bearings as she sat up and tried to figure out just what had happened to her. The first thing she noticed was that the path she was sitting on didn’t ring any bells, nor did any of the surrounding buildings.

Her memory of what led up to finding herself in a new place seemed to be missing, and all Selphie could really remember is blacking out at some point, though the cause was still a mystery. Still, a new place meant she would probably just have to find someone to tell her where she was and give her directions back to one of the cities or towns she knew like the back of her hand.

Leon trained by hunting heartless and vented his frustrations with reconstruction and his leadership role by hunting heartless. The white malamute was not far from him as they walked. Leon's gunblade propped on his shoulder. The malamute sniffed the air and barked, taking off.

-There is someone nearby.-

Eyes narrowing at that news, Leon sped up, not knowing what to expect. Were they from the city, lost out here? Were they hunting heartless as well?

He heard her last call and came around the shoulder of a cavern wall. Leon had not changed much stylistically in the nine years since the world of Archipelago had fallen. He wore his leathers, with far too many belts, and a white T-shirt beneath his black bomber jacket. Griever glinted in the sun, hitting his chest as he moved quickly. His hair was a little longer than it was back then, but that tell-tale scar still crossed his nose.

Seeing the woman ahead, Leon looks sharply around for Heartless. But seeing none at the moment he approaches, he is still somewhat wary. This area is not safe. Leon does not remember this woman's face, but then he cannot memorise everyone in Radiant Garden. Still, something tugs at his mind, a sense of recollection.

The white malamute came to Selphie's side and began to sniff at her. Confused as to who this was as well.

Leon gestures toward Selphie with a black-leather gloved hand, "I'm here. Are you alright?"