“Look lively, you mangy bilge rats! Capt’n on deck!”

Leon didn’t have to strain to hear the measured step of heavy footfalls headed in his direction. Everyone had fallen silent the moment their leader arrived, not that he could see the man yet with his head forced to look at the wooden planks. He guessed it was a man by the weight of each step, the deck under his knees vibrating as they moved closer.

“Good haul lads,” a rough voice said as heeled boots came into view and stopped right in front of the kneeling brunet. “Extra rations of rum tonight after it’s all stowed away.”

The chorus of cheers was deafening and Leon longed to cover his ears but hands shackled as they were he could do little.

The pirate ship had come out of nowhere, likely using the warp routes to drop in on unsuspecting space travelers and disable them before they could put up any kind of defense. Leon had tried but they’d hit his biggest guns first and his engine before he could get away. In hindsight he probably should have listened to Cid and not headed for the Coliseum for a few fights. He just hoped they’d be able to find him.

Drawn from his thoughts as a gloved hand grasped his chin tightly, Leon glared up at the captain of the pirates, hoping his eyes hadn‘t given him away. Why now? Leon wondered when familiar eyes showed no spark of recognition.

“Ain’t he a pretty one, Capt’n? Will fetch a good price in Agrabah.”

“True but I think I’d like to keep this one for myself. I be needing a new cabin boy and this one’ll do just fine.”

Ignoring the unsavory comments as the captain dragged him to his feet and tossed over his shoulder in a rattle of chains, Leon tried to see where they were going.

“Squirm and I’ll drop you on yer ass and drag you to my quarters,” the Captain growled, sounding more amused than angry as he smacked Leon’s upturned ass hard.

Leon growled back, grunting when his hit his head on a low overhead beam as he tried to lever his body off its uncomfortable perch.

“Oh, and mind yer head, lovely.”

Getting ready to fight in earnest, Leon stilled as a key rattled in a lock and a door opened on well-oiled hinges. From what he could see, it was the only old style door in the corridor. A hand on his back kept him down as his captor stepped through the door and it shut automatically behind them. Being dumped on a soft surface and a knee was pressed hard into his back to prevent him from rolling was uncomfortable.

“Get off me.”

“Now, now, I’m just undoing your restraints. It’ll take a moment with the key so be patient. Don’t want my cabin boy sullied by shackle marks.”

Laying still Leon listened to the loud click and the moment his hands were free the pressure on his back let up. Rolling over he glared up the captain, wondering exactly how to react.

The Captain made the choice for him, swiftly sitting down and pulling Leon into tight hug.

“Sweet Hyne, Squall, it’s good to see you,” Irvine whispered into his ear, all trace of his gruff pirate voice gone.

Leon let Irvine tumble them back onto the bed, Irvine’s ear pressed to his chest as Leon stroked his fingers through longer than he remembered hair.

“Good to see you too, Irvine,” Leon said, wondering if he could be bothered to explain he now went by a different name. He guessed that would come later, after they discussed the pirates giving him back his Gummi ship and escorting him home to Radiant Garden.

Cid knew he was staring. It was damned hard not to with a six foot gargoyle standing in the middle of Merlin’s home. Well more off to one side seeing as it was still on top of the teleport ring Sora used but that was unimportant. It was a flipping gargoyle and according to the kid, it was his.

“What the hell am I to do with a hugeass moss collector? Use it as a hood ornament on my Gummi ship?” he asked as he got up from the computer and stalked towards the ‘gift’.

Cloud and the others stepped back to give Cid all the room he wanted.

Getting closer Cid frowned at the huge grey figure, walking slowly around it as his friends stared. It looked awfully familiar, a thought the pilot quickly brushed away. Now he really needed a smoke.

“Well I guess I can find some use for it. Workmanship looks good enough,” he grudgingly admitted as he pulled a slightly squashed cigarette packet from his pocket. “Nice details on the claws and wings. Where’d you find this one, kid?”

Not really listening to Sora’s answer of the world he had just saved and the souvenirs he’d brought back as he lit up and took a deep breath of nerve-calming smoke, Cid squinted at the gargoyle’s face and reached out as if to brush something off its cheek as he exhaled on a slightly shaky breath. His hand never touched the seemingly smooth rock surface as it instead met with warm, hard, suede covered skin. For a startled moment, Cid stared as glowing red eyes blinked and then glared at him, or more specifically the glowing stick hanging from his lips.

Not even having a chance to shout some kind of warning, Cid gaped as a furred hand snatched the cigarette from his lips and crushed it without flinching at the heat. There was a noise off to the side of as weapons were drawn and the muscled body before him growled deeply as it crouched down and then launched straight up through Merlin’s roof.

Staring up for a long moment as bits of wood and slate tiles hovered above his head before gliding back up to repair the roof, Cid saw the once gargoyle and now familiar demon circle the house and then fly off to the south, disappearing stars making its path.

“And hello to you too. Dumbass, use the friggin door next time,” Cid growled as he fished out a fresh smoke. “And don’t touch me smokes!”

“What was that, Cid?” Sora asked, his eyes wide and excited. “That was awesome. I didn’t know gargoyles could come to life like that.”

“That was no gargoyle, Sora,” Cloud said in his quiet voice and Cid stared at bright, knowing eyes. “I’ll go see where he went.” And like that the blond was gone, leaving Cid to answer all Sora’s curious questions.

Cid let out a long-suffering sigh and pointed Sora in the direction of Merlin’s table where the rest of the group was pulling out chairs. Aerith offered Cid a glass of something dark and he smiled his thanks. Trust the healer to know exactly what he needed.

“Let me tell you of a man named Vincent and the demon called Chaos.”