Challenge [193]

[breathless-dawn.livejournal.com]

Challenge: [193] Destruction
Title: Picking the Pieces Up, Part II
Word Count: 278
Notes: Herein lies part II (and I still can't believe my long winded-ness). It should also be noted that, yes, I know Leon's gang went to Hollow Bastion before Sora deafeated Ansem-who-wasn't-really-Ansem, but for the purposes of this, they, you know...didn't. ...=]

 

When all the stars return to the sky, they all thank Sora, even though they know he can’t hear them. The next day, they pile into the gummi ship and head for home. The excitement emanating from them is nearly tangible, and even Cid seems to be in good spirits. When they land, Yuffie bounds out the door, followed by the rest of them.

 

The sight that greets them is not what they expected.

 

Everything is broken. The castle walls are crumbling, strange black ash coats everything, the town is completely destroyed. All eyes turn to Leon after they’ve seen enough of the devastation.

 

“What do we do now?” Yuffie asks.

 

Leon sighs and says, “We fix it.”

 

And so they do.

 

 

 

The Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee is formed. They work for months on end, restoring the town and repairing the castle. Slowly, people return and volunteers help to fix things. Everything seems to be working.

 

Five months after they arrive, Cloud appears. Aerith embraces him and the look in her eyes is enough to make Leon, and even Yuffie, turn their heads away. Cloud gives no explanation as to why he was gone, but they are all happy to have him back so they quell their curiosity until he sees fit to tell them. They know he will eventually.

 

And things start to fall into place again.

 

Cloud goes wherever Aerith does, and wherever Leon is found Yuffie is always close by, and they repair Hollow Bastion until it’s almost like what it used to be – but it isn’t quite. But neither are they, so they find that things just work and it’s good enough for them.

Comments

Ah like it

[kmsaum.livejournal.com]

It's good, quite. I like the simple surety of how you approach their attitudes...because it's crappy, it sucks, but that's how 'it' is...and this is how I'd see them dealing. Nice work ;)

Re: Ah like it

[breathless-dawn.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much! I'm glad you liked it :)