Title: The last summoner

Author: Lythanie

Pairing:?/Leon/?

Rating: T (for now)
Warnings: post game,

Beta: Crix Dorius
Word Count: 1372

Disclaimer:I don't own any of the characters or kingdom hearts, only this story is mine. They belong to Walt Disney and Square Enix.

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x-x-x-x-x Chapter 1- Happy Birthday x-x-x-x-x

"Squa-all"

A voice echoed nearly singing through the office. It had been so quiet here. The young man didn't even bother looking up from the reports in front of him.

"Oh Squall, put that down and come downstairs. Today is your free day."

"Since when?"

The cold reply came quickly. Squall put the reports down and looked at his visitor. The brunet girl was bouncing in front of his desk.

"Today is the party. Don't be so antisocial!"

"Selphie, that is tonight. It's not even noon! So shut up and go"

"You didn't expect to get work done today, did you?" Quistis giggled.

"Quisti is right, look even the sun is celebrating, come oooooon."

Both women pulled him out of his chair and dragged him along.

"oh, and Lionheart stays here."

Quistis took the gunblade out of his reach and put it onto the desk without loosening her grip on his arm.

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He hated events like these. The party was loud and here were too many people for his liking. And the worst was…

"Congratulations, my dear Commander. How are you?"

… he was the centre of attention. He hated this with passion. Here wasn't the smallest hope of escape. He was the proud leader. He had to stay and endure pointless babble. He didn't even listen anymore. It was always the same old story. 'How are you' 'I've heard you broke up with the sorceress' 'The mission in xy was splendid' 'My daughter/nice/friend wants to meet you' and so on. The list was endless.

He couldn't stay in the background and observe his surroundings. Nobody cared tonight about security. Everyone was happy and in best mood. Maybe the alcohol was guilty in some cases. But even if he wanted, drinking was not in question.

He was the commander, a role model. There was no way that he could get drunk tonight. Someone had to be on guard…

"Hey Squall! Live a little, this is your party. You've earned it."

The sniper of his gang put an arm around his shoulders and led him to the next group of giggling women. He regretted that he had allowed this party… On the second thought… he had never given any permission…how did his friends manage all this?

The young commander of the SEEDs didn't have much time to ponder on his friends' scheme as he was dragged to the next group of guests.

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The lights flickered. The ground shook. That had been their only warning. Like a black flood they came down.

Heartless.

Black monsters were soon everywhere. They came through black cracks in the sky.

In the ground. Through walls and doors.

People screamed in pain and fear.

Where was his trusted Lionheart?

In the office.

Too far away. The revolver from the training grounds had to suffice.

"Squall!"

He spun around. Zell fell into his arms lifelessly. The black monster in front of him held a shining object. With a battle cry the SEED commander attacked. Only one strike and the thing disappeared. As soon as the thing was gone he ran back to his fallen friend. He shook him gently and called him.

No reaction. With shaking hands he took the pulse…

"No…"

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Fire was everywhere. Several machines had detonated. Black and thick fog blocked his sight and lungs. The still living SEEDs gathered in front of the Garden. Balamb Garden was destroyed. The city below was too. The communication to the other cities and gardens lost.

"Look out!"

The next wave came quickly and everything was flooded in black…

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The brunet warrior jolted out of his uneasy sleep. He panted hard and cursed inaudibly. Leon knew that dream too well. A glance to his watch told him the same time as nearly every night. 4 o'clock in the morning wasn't his favorite time. Silently he rose even before the sun and got ready. He hated this day. Nothing good had ever happen on 23rd of August.

He grabbed his leather jacket and the revolver that stood next to his bed and left Merlin's house as quiet as possible.

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"LEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNN!"

Yuffie burst in the room, of course without knocking.

"Wake up sleepy head! Happy bir…huh?"

The energetic girl blinked and stopped in the middle of the room. She called the missing habitant again.

"Damn… I got up early for him today…AERITH?" She shouted through the whole house. Everyone who had been still sleeping was awake by now.

Downstairs in the kitchen, the gentle brunet giggled quietly at the antics of her friend. Not long after the rumpus the ninja girl ran into the kitchen.

"Aerith, where's our fearless leader?"

"What birthday boy is on the run again? Don't tell me he's working outside somewhere." Cid yawned. Yuffie huffed but sat down for breakfast.

"I don't know. I haven't seen him yet. Certainly he's in the control room with Tron or patrolling outside of the town. Don't stress, Yuffie. He will come back for dinner. He always does."

"And where's chocobo head? Searching his darkness again?"

"Right behind you, you wannabe ninja"

Cloud walked into the room and sat down at the table, after he had given her a light smack on the head. She stuck her tongue out at Cloud.

"Working on his birthday? Has he ever had a day off?"

Surprising all, Aerith huffed in response.

"Leon needs more rest. But when I ask him to make more breaks, he only says there's too much to do." She served them their breakfast.

"Cloud, could you deliver the boxes from the living room to Tifa's pub later? And Yuffie, you help decorating. Tifa planned a big party tonight."

The flower girl smiled gently as they nodded.

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Half an hour later Cloud was on the way to Tifa. But he couldn't help wondering where Leon had run off to. These days had been quiet and calm. The rebuilding of Radiant Garden made a fantastic progress under Leon's leadership. He couldn't despise his birthday that badly that he had to hide, could he?

Cloud decided to search the missing lion after he had done his duty. In the past years Leon had done his best to keep Cloud's friends safe and sound as he wasn't around to do so himself. Making sure that he wasn't alone on his birthday was the least what Cloud could do for his new friend.

He didn't know much about the stoic brunet and his past. Despite his quietness and cold behavior, you could always count on him. Although Leon had no bounds towards their group and the town at the beginning, he had never stopped protecting and rebuilding to the point of exhaustion.

Thanks to the Mako in his system his hearing was quite good. He had heard Leon getting up at four in the morning after a restless sleep. Cloud knew for sure that no emergency had occurred in the night. Maybe he should have stopped him before he had left.

Cloud had been searching for hours. Their missing leader was nowhere to find. The warrior had searched in the control room first where Tron told him Leon had not started working yet. The man wasn't anywhere in the Bailey. He even searched inside of the castle well knowing that the citizens would like seeing Leon as their official Leader as a mayor or more but the brunet declined and every time the topic had come up he had changed it quickly.

At the time his cell phone was ringing he became frustrated.

"What!" He snarled into the device.

"Cloud, Leon has been missing for the whole day. Could you find him?" He heard Aerith. Her voice was laced with worry.

"The paperwork lies untouched in his office, he didn't work with Tron on the security system and not a single soul has seen him today."

"hmpf if he wanted a day off, he could have said so. Everyone'd like to grant him that. I've just finished searching outside. I can't find him anywhere. I've even looked in the castle."

"Please look again, the party is going to start in half an hour and the guest of honor is missing."

"Ok Aerith, but I won't promise anything."

They ended the call.

"Leon, where are you hiding?"

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-x-x-x-x chapter 1 end –x-x-x-x-x

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AN: Hi, everyone. I'm quite new in writing and English isn't my native tongue, so constructive critique wouldn't go amiss and if you find any gravely mistakes in spelling (I hope not or my spellchecker needs an update ;) ) or grammar, feel free to tell me. I'm still uncertain which pairing it will be. I'm hovering between Cleon, Seph/Leon and a threesome Seph/Leon/Cloud.

Please read and review.^^