A.N. My new fanfic, yay^^ Since I'm on the 3rd CD of FFVIII, I can't help but love the pairings AerithxLeon and SquallxRinoa now. But I still can't let go of CloudxAerith^^'''' The Prolog wasn't planned, but I thought, before I'm gonna explain everything what happened, I'll rather write this Prolog :3 Hope you like it^^
Disclaimer – I own nothing.
My Special Someone
Chapter 1: Prolog
It was a sunny day in Radiant Garden and the children played near the beautiful gardens. „Aerith, come on! The flowers won't run away from you!", called Tifa. Aerith, who was knelling in front of the flowers and tended them, turned to Tifa and her other friends. „Don't be so sure.", the little flower girl replied teasingly, but stood up and ran to her friends. „What are we going to do now?", asked Yuffie, the youngest one of the group. „Let's play tag!", exclaimed Rinoa and pushed Squall violently. „Tag! You're it!" Rinoa ran away from him quickly, and so did Tifa, Yuffie and Aerith. Squall just growled quietly, but played along. As Aerith ran, she suddenly noticed someone's sitting under a tree, watching them.
The girl stopped suddenly, which caused Squall, who was running behind her to catch her, to ran against her and they both fell to the ground with Squall on top of her. „Why did you stop?", asked Squall, as he stood up, groaning. Aerith just lied there and stared at the blonde boy. Squall knelled in front of her, blocking her sight of that boy. „Hey, are you okay?"
The girl snapped out of her daze and took Squalls outstretched hand. „I'm alright.", she replied, as Squall helped her up. The others ran to them, to make sure that Aerith's alright. The green eyed girl reassured them, that she's okay and looked away from them, back to the boy, who's still watching them. „Excuse me." Aerith went to the boy, while her friends looked after her and waited for her to come back again.
Aerith arrived the boy and knelled down in front of him. „Hi.", she greeted him happily and smiled brightly at him. The blonde boy didn't said anything, he just nodded shortly and looked away from her. „What are you doing here all alone?" The boy still didn't reply and Aerith thought to introduce herself first. „I'm Aerith. Who are you?" He just looked at her wide-eyed. No one ever talked to him so kindly and now the most beautiful girl he knew talks to HIM!
Aerith waited patiently for him to finally reply, her smile never faded. „...Cloud..." Aeriths eyes shone brightly, as he finally spoke to her. „Nice to meet you, Cloud!", she said happily and sat down next to him. Cloud always knew that this girl was pretty and kind, but this was beyond his imaginary. He was amazed at how she treated him. She treated him, like he's already his friend and not just some gloomy boy in the shadows. „Aerith, com on!", called Tifa impatiently, while the flower girl called back with a „Just a sec!"
„You should go to you friends...", said Cloud sadly. It startled him, that she stood up, as he said this, but what startled him the most was the fact that Aerith's holding her hand out to him. „Join us.", she said and waited for him to take her hand. Cloud hesitated. „I don't think you friends want me to join..."
„Dilly dally shilly shally! Come on! I want you to join us! And if the others doesn't want you, then we're going to do something together!" Cloud was taken aback by her words, but hesitantly took her hand. She helped him up and dragged him to her friends. „Guys, do you mind if Cloud plays along?"
„Yay! A new playmate!", exclaimed Yuffie. „Of course not. The more, the better!", agreed Rinoa. „Sure.", replied Squall. Tifa always thought that this boy is kinda weird, but she didn't want to be the only one, who disagreed, so she replied with a simply „Jop.". The little flower girl turned to Cloud. „See? We all want you to join us, Cloud! And as our new friend...You may begin!" Aerith picks him with her index finger and ran away, while saying:„Tag! You're it!" Everyone else ran away, too, while Cloud stood there dumbfounded. But he couldn't hide a small smile, which graced his lips and began to run after them.
Four years passed since then and during these years the group were the best friends and did everything together. But some day dark creatures attacked the world and everyone wanted to fight them, even the kids. Because of those creatures almost everyone of the group became orphans. Cloud still had his mother and Rinoa his father Tifa was an orphan, too, but her master took care of her.
The kids learned to fight, since that day and everyone with another weapon and mostly unknown to the grown ups. Cloud used his Buster Sword, which he got from his father, before he died. Tifa trained to become a martial artist. Yuffie trained her ninja skills and fought with ha big throwing star, called shuriken. Squall, who was an orphan since he remembered fought with a gunblade. Rinoa had an airworthy rotund blade, which she could fire off, like a crossbow. And Aerith mainly used magic, but also fought with a staff.
Even though they were still too young to fight at all, they didn't want to stand there and do nothing. The only grown up, who knows about this was Cid Highwind. Even though he's against this, too, he let them be and protected them. But then there came even more of these creatures, now known as heartless and they all knew that they would destroy the world...Tifa confronted them and wanted to fight, but her master dragged her to the last few gummy ships.
Aerith and Yuffie just left the flower girls house and searched for the others. Cloud was on the other side of the town and fought against the heartless as best as he could with his heavy sword. „Cloud!" He turned around and his eyes widened. „Mom!" Cloud ran to her. „What are you doing here?"
„Searching for you, of course!" They turned around to go to the gummy ships, but someone blocked their path. It was Sephiroth. He's a general, he'll help them...
But what he did next caught them both off guard. Sephiroth raised his long sword and killed Clouds mother. Cloud looked in horror at his mothers lifeless body. He looked up at Sephiroth. He was supposed to be on their side. He was supposed to help them to save their world! Cloud glared furiously at the silver haired man, who looked kinda interested at him. „You could be useful.", he said an raised his hand.
Cloud was suddenly surrounded by heartless. The dark creatures ran to him. They didn't attack him, but held him so that he couldn't move anymore. Sephiroth approached him, he held a dark orb in his hand and pressed it into his chest, into his heart. Cloud cried out in pain. He thought he's going to die, but then he thought about Aerith and that he had to save her and suddenly a bright light appeared. The heartless were defeated and Sephiroth was blinded. Cloud took advantage and fled.
In this time Squall and Rinoa fled together to the gummy ships. „What about the others?", protested Rinoa, as Squall dragged her with him. „They must be in the ships already!" They entered the last gummy ship, but just Tifa was in there. „Tifa! Where are Aerith, Yuffie and Cloud?", asked Rinoa her worried. „I thought they're with you!"
Squall cursed mentally and ran out. He should've known that they're still in town. „Squall!" Rinoa followed him and held his arm tightly. „I'll go with you!"
„No! Stay here!", he said sternly and freed himself from her grip. „But...!" Rinoa tried gain, but Squall interrupted her. „Don't worry, I'll bring them back." Before Squall could do anything, Rinoa held him back once more, by hugging him tightly. „Take care! And please come back soon!", begged Rinoa, while Squall hugged her back awkwardly. „Sure." The brown eyed girl held him a few more seconds. „Squall?"
„Hm?" Rinoa was silent for a while before she continued. „...I love you.", she whispered against his chest. Squalls body tensed, as she said this, but soon relaxed again and held her a bit tighter. „I love you too.", he replied, let her go and ran into the town, while Rinoa watched after him.
Meanwhile...
„Aerith! Yuffie!" The girls stopped, as they heard Clouds voice. „What are you two doing here?" He stopped in front of them. „Searching for you and the others!", replied Yuffie. „The others must be already in the ships!" But then Squall approached them. „There you are! Hurry up!"
„Where are Tifa and Rinoa?", asked Aerith, as Cloud and Squall led the way to the gummy ships. „On a ship! Don't worry!"
Aerith sighed in relieve, glad that her friends are save. The kids stopped, as they heard a familiar voice calling them. „Kids! What the fucking hell are ya doin' here? Ya should've been in the ships already!"
„Uncle Cid! Are you okay?", asked Aerith him worried, ignoring his previous question. „Yeah, 'f course! However, we have to leave this world right now! Follow me!" The kids followed Cid. „Where are we going? The gummy ships are over there!", said Squall and pointed to the other direction.
„I have my own ship!", replied Cid as they arrived his gummy ship. The kids stared at it in awe, but then more heartless appeared behind them and they quickly entered it. Aerith, who entered the gummy ship at last, noticed that Cloud wasn't inside and ran out again. „Aerith, where are you going?", called Yuffie, but Aerith ignored her and ran to Cloud.
„Cloud, hurry!", she called him, while Cloud faced the heartless and waited for them to attack. „I'll take care of them! Go in!", he called back over his shoulder, but Aerith ran closer to him an hugged him from behind. „I'm not leaving you!" Cloud frantically tried to push her away, but she held him even tighter. „Let's go, Cloud!"
Cloud could hear from the sound of her voice that she's on the verge of tears and that was the last thing Cloud wanted. He took her hand and entered the gummy ship, while the heartless cling to the gummy ship and and prevented it to fly. „Cid!", yelled Squall. „Fly already!"
„I try! But these damn heartless won't let go!" Cloud sat Aerith on a seat and put her seat belt on. Then he took her hand and lied something in it. „Take care of it. You remember it, right? The Cloudy Wolf. It'll protect you. Just call his name and you'll be save." Cloud balled her hand into a fist and squeezed it lightly.
Then he leaned in and whispered something in her ear. „Till we meet again." Aerith knew that it meant good by and held his arm tightly. „Don't go!", she yelled and began to cry. Cloud just kissed her forehead and left the gummy ship, once he whispered a „Be strong." in her ear. „CLOUD!", the flower girl shouted and tried to follow him, but the seat belt won't open.
Cloud defeated some heartless, that held the gummy ship on the ground. The ship ascent into the heaven. In this time Aeriths seat belt opened and she ran to the exit to be with him, but it closed and Squall and Yuffie held her back. „Let me go! We can't leave him behind!"
„Just trust him! He knows what he's doing!", said Leon, who still held her back. „But I have to tell him something!", protested Aerith and tried to free herself from his grip.
„Tell him another time! It's too late!", yelled Yuffie. She and Squall dragged her back to the seats, before the gummy ship flied away and left Cloud with the heartless, and Radiant Garden behind. Just as they left the world Aerith began to cry hysterically, while Squall, Yuffie and Cid tried to comfort her.
Cid flew next to the ship where Tifa and Rinoa were. „Kids! Tifa and Rinoa are next to us! Wanna talk to them?"
„Take care of her.", said Squall to Yuffie and went to Cid to talk to his friends. „Tifa? Rinoa?"
„Squall!", exclaimed Rinoa. „Are you okay?"
„I'm alright."
„What about the others? Did you find them?", asked Tifa worried. „Yeah, Yuffie and Aerith are alright, too." Then he heard Aeriths hysterical sobs. „At least...physically.", he added. „What about Cloud?", asked the girls in unison. „He's still in Radiant Garden.", he said and heard the girls gasped. „You left him behind?", yelled Tifa angrily. „We had no other choice! If it wasn't for Cloud, neither of us could flee!"
The girls went quiet for a while and so did Leon. „Don't worry. Cloud's strong. He'll make it.", reassured Squall, while Rinoa and Tifa just hummed in agreement. „Squall! Help me!", called Yuffie, who still tried to comfort Aerith. „Have to go. Yuffie needs some help to comfort Aerith. See ya." Squall went back to Yuffie and Aerith. „Kids!", yelled Cid. „Sit down and hold on! We're still not safe! The heartless attack again!"
The three did as they were told, while Cid tried to dodge the attacks. Once they're out of the danger zone they found themselves alone. „Where the fucking hell are the others? These fucking damn heartless put us off our course!"
„That means we lost Tifa and Rinoa too?", cried Aerith. „Aerith! Pull yourself together!", yelled Squall to silence her. „They're okay! They're not alone! I'm sure they'll make it and find us! We're just in separate worlds!" Aerith went silent and looked at Squall wide eyed. „Cloud told you to be strong, didn't he? So do as he said an BE strong!"
Aerith looked at her fist, which lied on her lap and opened it, to reveal a silver ring with a wolf on it. On its forehead was a red, glowing orb. She put the ring on, but it was way to big for her small fingers, so she took her pink ribbon and tied it with the ring back into her braid.
She wiped her tears away and turned back to Squall and smiled at him. „You're right, Squall. I have to be strong. Thank you." Aerith pulled him into a hug and Squall felt kinda uncomfortable, because it reminded him of his hug with Rinoa. „...Don't mention it..."
hours went by and they were still flying through the giant cosmos. The kids were sleeping and curled together in their seats, while Cid searched for a world to land, but everywhere were the heartless and no place seemed to be safe enough, until he finally found one and landed. Once he landed the gummy ship in front of the gates, he stood up, stretched himself and went to the kids.
„Kids! Wake up, we landed!" They woke up and yawned. „Where are we?", asked Yuffie the man sleepily. „We're going to find out. Let's go." The kids followed him outside and looked around the small town, which is supposedly called "Traverse Town".
Even here are heartless, but not as much as in other worlds. They decided to go to a hotel and rest. „Ya kids take the bed. It's big enough for ya three.", said Cid. „What about you?", asked Aerith, while Cid pointed to the couch. Yuffie, Squall and Aerith lied down in the bed. Because of the fact that Squall lied in the middle, the two girls snuggled against him. Squall felt rather uncomfortable. It's a bit too intimate for his likes, but tried to comfort them and hugged them back. Just today..., he thought. Just because we lost our home...Just as everyone went quiet, they fell asleep.
A.N. Dear readers, CloudxAerith, RinoaxSquall, AerithxLeon, and maybe CloudxRinoa fans, thanks for reading my new fanfic^^ I know it's short, but it'll be longer in the sec chappy. And I have a great favor to ask you guys! Tell every Clerith, Squinoa,...fan that I write this fanfic and PLEASE vote! What do you have to vote? I'll tell you! I haven't decided how to end this. I mean which pairing I use. And that's your choice now^^ Please tell me which pairing you prefer! You can chose between the pairs I just mentioned. I won't, I repeat, WON'T write Yuri or Yaoi! Please tell all your friends, who love these pairings and help me to finish it! Thank you and till next time^^
And DON'T forget to review and to vote! I'm counting on you! :3