All that Matters (is Tomorrow, Today)
Title: All That Matters (is Tomorrow, Today) Originally written for the kh_drabble community, challenge 215, "The End (is the Beginning)
Word Count 455
Notes: largely inspired by an Our Lady Peace song of a nearly identical title. give it a listen as the title, and the quote at the beginning were ganked from that song.
If you believe in death you're certain to die.
If you believe in love you're always alive.--Our Lady Peace “The End is Where We Begin”
----
This had been a land of smiles, once. Maybe not from him necessarily, even back then Squall had never been well-known for his laughter. Still, this had been a place full of light. If he tried hard enough, he could even remember how everything had looked.
There was the field where Cloud and he had trained, as cadets. He thought of how the blond had looked, back then. Eyes still shining with humanity and hope, they would bump shoulders playfully after a hard sparring match. It was impossible to overlay the somber adult with that bright youth.
That twisted rebar had been a playground, once. Aerith was always hiding in the maze of childhood dreams, tending to a little field of flowers growing at the edges. If he closed his eyes he could still see her as she was, young and covered in dirt. In the here and now Leon heard her quick intake of breath as she surveyed the damage.
Over there was that stupid tree Yuffie used to hide in. He remembered many an afternoon, finding himself pinned to the ground via tiny shurikens embedded in the cuff of his jeans. Her bright, Cheshire cat grin and she cackled over her conquest. “Pinned ya!” she’d crow and laugh so hard she fell out of the tree.
Only rubble in the vague outline of their homes remained to mark their childhoods. Leon felt a weight on his chest as he thought of all the work they had ahead of them. So few had made it through the disaster wrought by the darkness, he faltered for a moment, wondering if it was even worth it.
Somewhere to his right, Yuffie let out a low whistle. “This is some kind of mess.” Her voice was unbothered by the damage, a confident smile lighting her face. She picked her way over to him, carefully, until she was by his side.
“It could be worse though, right?” She took his hand in hers, tugging him until he was forced to move. They stumbled over the disaster, rising higher and higher over the town until Yuffie finally turned them to face what they had just mounted. There were a handful of buildings still mostly intact, small places that Leon had overlooked in his assessment of the damage. He watched silently as people moved about, some were bandaging others, some were passing out food and blankets, all smiled with some semblance of hope.
“We might not have much, but we can work with this.” She squeezed his hand affectionately, turning the full force of her smile at him. “Right, Squall?”
Leon felt something at the edges of his mouth curl. “Right,” he bumped at her shoulder playfully, “and that’s Leon.”
Word Count 455
Notes: largely inspired by an Our Lady Peace song of a nearly identical title. give it a listen as the title, and the quote at the beginning were ganked from that song.
If you believe in death you're certain to die.
If you believe in love you're always alive.--Our Lady Peace “The End is Where We Begin”
----
This had been a land of smiles, once. Maybe not from him necessarily, even back then Squall had never been well-known for his laughter. Still, this had been a place full of light. If he tried hard enough, he could even remember how everything had looked.
There was the field where Cloud and he had trained, as cadets. He thought of how the blond had looked, back then. Eyes still shining with humanity and hope, they would bump shoulders playfully after a hard sparring match. It was impossible to overlay the somber adult with that bright youth.
That twisted rebar had been a playground, once. Aerith was always hiding in the maze of childhood dreams, tending to a little field of flowers growing at the edges. If he closed his eyes he could still see her as she was, young and covered in dirt. In the here and now Leon heard her quick intake of breath as she surveyed the damage.
Over there was that stupid tree Yuffie used to hide in. He remembered many an afternoon, finding himself pinned to the ground via tiny shurikens embedded in the cuff of his jeans. Her bright, Cheshire cat grin and she cackled over her conquest. “Pinned ya!” she’d crow and laugh so hard she fell out of the tree.
Only rubble in the vague outline of their homes remained to mark their childhoods. Leon felt a weight on his chest as he thought of all the work they had ahead of them. So few had made it through the disaster wrought by the darkness, he faltered for a moment, wondering if it was even worth it.
Somewhere to his right, Yuffie let out a low whistle. “This is some kind of mess.” Her voice was unbothered by the damage, a confident smile lighting her face. She picked her way over to him, carefully, until she was by his side.
“It could be worse though, right?” She took his hand in hers, tugging him until he was forced to move. They stumbled over the disaster, rising higher and higher over the town until Yuffie finally turned them to face what they had just mounted. There were a handful of buildings still mostly intact, small places that Leon had overlooked in his assessment of the damage. He watched silently as people moved about, some were bandaging others, some were passing out food and blankets, all smiled with some semblance of hope.
“We might not have much, but we can work with this.” She squeezed his hand affectionately, turning the full force of her smile at him. “Right, Squall?”
Leon felt something at the edges of his mouth curl. “Right,” he bumped at her shoulder playfully, “and that’s Leon.”