(no subject)

[leatheredlion.livejournal.com]

Who: Squall, Mickey & Laguna
When: Day after the other visits.
Where: Balamb Garden
What: A slight scuffle
Rating: PG-13



Laguna felt good. Or, good was a bad word. Felt better would be accurate. He felt better. He had talked with Squall, and although there was a part of him who wanted to kill the man, he had managed to fight it. Too keep it at bay. He felt as if he were winning against the darkness inside. And it felt good.

Mickey stepped effortlessly through a shadowy portal that materialized in the wall. He looked around with a sneer, shaking his head, "Hmph.. even a Shadow could manage to escape from here. What's your excuse this time, Laguna?" he didn't even try to sound friendly, this time.

Laguna looked up, flinching away from Mickey. "Majesty!" He exclaimed, his shadows weakening to Mickeys. "I- I have sealed myself in to protect myself from the keyblade master."

The King smirked slightly, and shook his head, "Doubtful. I've faced the boy, he is a little threat. If you like, I will let you out, then you can hide." he frowned, and waved a hand, popping a door up on the next wall, raising his brows, "They cannot track us."

Laguna hesitated scared, before shaking his head. "No"

"Oh? So, you are lying to me." the King's eyes narrowed, the room darkening a bit as his ire rose, "You should know better than to lie to me, Laguna." he took a step forward, awfully threatening for such a small figure.

Laguna got to his feet, pressing into the corner of the room. "Stay away from me, Mickey!" He wheezed, the darkness inside him pulling. Laguna had a gaping wound in his shoulder after Squall's gunblade.

Mickey smirked, giving his head a shake, and nodded to Laguna's wound, "Awfully nice friends you have here, Laguna.. perhaps I should remind them just what you are. You don't have to have a mind, you know.. I can think of much better uses for a singularly focused killing machine.."

Squall made his way down to the basement for his daily chat with Laguna. It was becoming almost routine, despite the pain and anger it caused him, and the self-loathing it awakened daily. He walked along the corridor towards the cell that held Laguna.

"He is my son! " Laguna cried out. "I will not kill them, I will not hurt them! I refuse to be your puppet anymore. I am better then that! They will fight for me, they will get back my heart!" He was pressed up against the glass door, scared.

Mickey cackled, shaking his head, his rusted Kingdom Key appearing in his hand. He drew back, producing Laguna's Heart in it's vessel, in his other hand, and pressed the tip of the Key to it, giving a slight turn. "Oh.. but you are my puppet. ALL Heartless are mine to do with as I please, Laguna, and it's time you learned your place!"

Squall moved over to the cell, resting a hand on the glass. "Well now... Isn't this cosy?" He spoke, voice laced with sarcasm. "The master and the slave playing happily together." He glanced at the heart Mickey held. "Nice of you to return that; saves us having to come find you."

Laguna gave a try as the key brushed his heart, sinking down. He was shivering as he heard Squall's voice. "S-Squall.. Kiddo.. Get out of here.."

King Mickey laughed slightly to Squall, raising a brow, "Ah, the prodigal son. How's Balthier?" he chuckled darkly, and slipped the Heart back into his cloak, though where it had gone was odd to think about. He snapped his Keyblade out to one side, tilting his head, "Come to finish dear ol' Daddy off before coming for me? How tragic."

"Leave Balthier out of this." Squall replied, eyes fixing on Mickey. His fingers twitched around his gunblade. He overrode the lock for the cell, but it was still bound by the dark magicks. "Open the door, Dad." Squall replied, more than foolish enough to step into that box. "Fitting, don't you think? The place you lost your heart is the place we now face each other again, Majesty."

"Squall, don’t!" Laguna cried out. But the door slipped open, Laguna shivering, pulling away from Mickey as far as he could. "G-get out of here Squall.. please don’t let him taunt you. "

Mickey shook his head with a smile, looking Squall over, "Oh, fitting, you say? I don't think so, I have another locale in mind for when we face one another. A place where heroes are born, and villains are forged, and a place where, left unchecked, I will destroy your petty little world, and move on to the rest of the worlds. But, for a conversation, I find this room more than acceptable."

Squall stepped into the cell holding his gunblade tighter, the corner of his mouth twitchign into a smirk. "Of course. Kingdom Hearts." He walked around the cell, keeping his eyes fixed on Mickey with every step. "The place where either you or Gaia shall fall." He stopped in front over the oversized mouse king. "Tell me... Why use Balthier to pass on this plan? Why not come to me directly?"

Laguna was whimpering, breathing through clenched teeth as he fought to get to his feet. "Return my heart, majesty.." He panted, glaring, eyes yellow.

Mickey laughed softly, "No, I don't think I will, Laguna." he dismissed the Heartless man with a wave of his hand, and looked to Squall, raising a brow, "Why use Balthier? Well, I must say it was an afterthought.. he could be useful as a messenger. I must remain in at least some contact with the man, if I'm to make good on my word." he hadn't broken it, even as a Heartless, so maybe it was still good.

"Fran destroyed the pin you gave him." Squall murmured, keeping his storm coloured eyes locked on Mickey. "And together Fran and I destroyed the Heartless within him." Squall crouched down until he was eye to eye with the mouse. "You truly despise me so much that you would use and hurt all those I love. Yet even now, I search desperately to save you from the pit of darkness you fester in."

Laguna was wheezing. He did not speak, no, his battle was going on inside him, fighting for his heart wordlessly. Fighting the Darkness.

Mickey sneered in Squall's face, "Keep searching, Squall. Your chance came, and went, in the beginning." he stayed where he was, his Keyblade still low, close enough to strike, but not moving, "Regardless of Balthier's intentions, or any doubt in his heart, none of that is, or was, my doing. But, you may continue to blame me. You will anyway." he gestured to Laguna, "I despise all of you, don't think so highly of yourself that you think my ire only focuses on your head, SeeD."

"My chance? To forfeit my own heart and join you in darkness? No, that would not have saved you and we both know it. I'd have just ended up like you. Bitter, twisted and decaying inside. We will this war, Mickey. We shall open the door and seal you inside. You and all the rotting Heartless. For Gaia, for her people, and for Loire."

Laguna was shaking, eyes sickly yellow as he stared at them both. He was fighting, but having king Mickey so close was hard. It was pulling his strength to the thinnest line. "My.. heart.:"

"Your Heart will remain where it belongs, Laguna." he snapped the words, and glared at Squall, "Not everything is as cut and dry as you make it, boy." the King still seethed inside for what he saw as a betrayal of the highest calibre, "No.. you would not have done anything more than become an anchor for my declining Heart, a lifeline back to the light, where I could find my way home." he smirked, and chuckled, "Oh, but I have found my home, now. Oh yes, have you been to Disney Castle lately? Have you been to the Destiny Islands? While you putter about here, dealing with small fry, I have been taking what is mine."

Squall hissed. "Enough of it! I have blamed myself long enough! What happened was an accident. And despite what you might think, I have never once stopped believing in you or your heart!" He glared at Mickey. "I shall defeat you and restore all the worlds!"

Laguna refused to loose, his greyish skin colour slowly turning more.. normal? He closed his eyes, streaks of grey appearing in his hair. He was calling for his heart, which was so close.

Mickey grunted, and shook his head at Squall, "Call it what you will, it is still your fault, entirely, for every Heart I take." the mouse smirked, "Such as this one.." he brought Laguna's Heart out again, not really caring to keep a minion that always failed, and focused on it. Immediately, small shadows began roiling over the crystalline organ, going so far as to gouge and gash it, "Though I no longer have need of it.." his voice had gone quiet, sinister.

"Then return it!!" Squall's teeth gritted, his own heart pounding against his chest. He hissed and raised his gunblade, moving in to slash at the King of Heartless, fuelled by his anger.

Laguna cried out as the shadows clawed at his heart, his hands coming to his chest as he gasped for air, sliding down the wall to write on the floor in pain. It was hitting him in waves, as sharp claws was tearing at his body, wanting to destroy him.

The King chortled, and moved the vessel containing the Heart into the path of Squall's slash, giving the young man a malicious glare, "Hmph, watch your tongue, boy. Not every problem can be solved by brute force and anger!" really, Squall would either have to miss, or destroy the Heart. Either one suited Mickey.

With a sharp jerk of his wrist, Squall pulled the gunblade away, causing a shooting pain to run along his arm. He growled a little, keeping his eyes fixed on Mickey, despite his pain.

Laguna had cried out in fear as the gunblade had gone for his heart, and he had closed his eyes tightly. But nothing happened. He looked up, afraid. Despite his pain, this was his cue. His heart was there, exposed. He got to his feet staggering, and leapt to try and get his heart.

Mickey spun, and landed a hard kick to Laguna's side, likely shoving him into Squall as he kept the Heart away from the Heartless man. "Heh, still don't know your place, Laguna? You'll always just be a weak, pathetic excuse for a man." he glared at Squall, past Laguna, "Next time your father gets out of line, boy, will be the last time. Control him."

Squall caught Laguna with a groan, steadying them both. He kept his own icy glare fixed on Mickey. "Keep away from him and I'll have no reason to." He hissed.

Laguna hissed from the kick, struggling to keep his balance, the heartless man being allowed to touch his son for the first time in a long time. he moved aside, allowing Mickey and Squall to interact, clutching his chest painfully still.

"Now then.. what will you trade for this..?" he smiled lightly, "The Heart of your father, a man never there for you while a child, only now wishing to be near you, when his Heart has been.. removed." the shadows continued to score and gash the man's Heart, though it would likely take some time to destroy it.. this was simple torture.

"You know I have nothing I can trade for it! Nothing I own is worth the value of a man's heart." Squall replied, fingers twitching against his blade.

Laguna was in agony, his face whitish pale, eyes puffy and pupils specked with gold. But he did not make a sound, nothing to let Squall just how much pain he was in. it hurt so bad. He did not know how long he could keep his mask.

Mickey clucked his tongue, and shrugged softly, "Ooh, too bad. So, what you're saying then, is you cannot think of any one thing you would part with to save your father?" he looked to Laguna, obviously pained, "You hear that, Laguna? Not even your son wants you badly enough to give something up just for you. Pathetic indeed."

"That's not what I said!!" Squall hissed, obviously getting worked up by Mickey's words and actions. "Just return it!! You want us to open the door to Kingdom hearts so do this for me!!"

"My son is a better man then you will ever by, Majesty." His voice was trembling, his legs staggering. "My son knows that I would rather die, then him sacrificing anything for me." He looked at his son, smiling pained.

Mickey laughed, and shook his head, "I don't need you to open the way to Kingdom Hearts, Squall. I just need you to show up with that halfwit Sora." he tossed the Heart up, and caught it, smirking. At Laguna's words, his expression soured, and he pointed his Keyblade at the man, a black ball of energy forming on the tip, then launching at him.

Squall's eyes widened and he dove between Laguna and Mickey, shielding the man that he once called his father, crossing his gunblade across his chest to try and deflect the blow.

Laguna cried out as well as Squall dove in the way of the ball. "SQUALL!"

Mickey cackled, and shook his head, "Hmph, well, that was unexpected." his voice oozed with sarcasm, as another orb formed on the end of his weapon, holding up for the moment, "Mmhmmhmm.. too bad, I could end it right here, but I need you alive, for the moment. Well, I'll just focus on your fellows." he raised the weapon, firing the blast up, where it went right through the ceiling, a beacon for Heartless to converge on Balamb. "There, I shall take my leave. Be aware, Squall, no harm shall come to you from my Heartless, so you may watch while your friends die." he jumped back, towards his portal, stopping just in front of it.

"You are no mouse, you are filthy rat." Squall hissed. "If you wish me to do your dirty work then leave Balamb and it's people unharmed!!"

Laguna hissed, gathering his last stregth, and attacking with whatever spell ha had left on Mickey. he needed his heart. Had to have it. or else he would never become Laguna Loire again.

Mickey had no use for the Heart, and he laughed, slashing through Laguna's spell and smirking, tossing it nonchalantly aside, the shadows dispersing when the glass shattered. "Keep your father. He is more useless as a Heartless than a human." he tilted his head towards Squall, smirking, "As for what I am, Leon, I am only what your inaction has made me. I cannot help being a monster, any more than you can help being weak. We are who we are." and then the mouse was gone, as were his portals, though Squall would likely begin hearing the sound of screams and battle soon.

Squall growled, throwing his gunblade against the floor in frustration. "Damnit!!" He gave the cell a kick, before moving to pick that heart up from the shattered glass, moving over to Laguna, kneeling in front of him with it.

Laguna was on the floor, gasping for breath when the pain in his body disappeared. Slowly he looked up, seeing his son hold the heart. His breath quivered as he took the heart, a light suddenly erupting out of him. When the light died away, Laguna was laying on the ground, breathing as if he was sleeping. Skin his normal shade, hair black with his grey hairs. No longer twisted and evil.

Squall knelt over Laguna, stroking his hair gently, swallowing hard. "D-dad...?" He asked, shifting a little uneasily.

Laguna drew in a soft breath, eyes opening. Tears tainted the side of his eyes, and emerald eyes looked up at his son. "Kiddo.."

Squall let out a relieved sigh and pulled Laguna into a firm hug. "I wish I could stick around, but I gotta go. Stay here, okay? The Heartless are invading."

He nodded, breathing. "Just.. Ill come soon and help.." He hugged Squall tight. "I just need to catch my strength."

"Stay here!" Squall repeated sternly, moving to grab his gunblade. He exited the cell and locked the door to stop Laguna getting out or the Heartless getting in. Before moving to head upstairs.

Laguna's eyes widened, getting to his feet. "Let me out! Let me out Squall, can help!" IT was a lie. Laguna was way to weak to help in body, but in mind he wanted to.