Hello! I know I shouldn't be putting up any more stories, but I couldn't resist. I had a dream, and I was inspired! Look or more info on my profile soon. And yes, this is Cloud/Aerith! Enjoy!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own FF7 or any related characters. They only thing that is mine is the story idea.
Castle of the Illusionist
Castle of the Illusionist
Chapter One- The Doll
"I think we should turn back!"
The girl in front of her didn't answer, merely continued to push her way through the thick undergrowth.
"Yuffie...! Did you hear me!? I said that we should turn BACK!"
Still, the girl did not respond.
Throwing her long black hair out of her face, Tifa sighed, putting her hands on her hips. "We should at least take Marlene home," she murmured, knowing very well that Yuffie would hear her.
Yuffie stopped, gripping the small hand of the five-year-old girl who was looking around with wide, curious eyes. Slowly, Yuffie turned to face Tifa. Her expression was a mask of ease, covering the doubts that Tifa knew were there.
"Humph. Aerith told me to watch her, to not let her out of my sight, so I am! Besides," she said, turning away from her companion again. "YOU just want to take Marlene back so that you can sneak away and get out of doing this, like the fraidy-cat you are."
Tifa spluttered indignantly. "I –I am NOT a fraidy-cat!"
Yuffie smirked. Despite the fact that Tifa was two years older than her, she could be so easy to trick sometimes. "Nuyk, Nuyk, Nuyk." She murmured quietly, before saying so that Tifa could hear- "Fine. I suppose that I will go up by myself, and when I become famous, and get in the newspapers, you will just sit there, thinking, 'if only I hadn't been such a fraidy-cat, then I would have gone with Yuffie and I would be famous too...'" Yuffie contained her laughter with difficulty. She could practically hear Tifa's pride swelling in defiance.
"Fine. I'll come." She grabbed Yuffie roughly by the shoulder, eyes flashing, to turn her around. "Mark my words though," Tifa murmured fiercely. "Marlene should not have come with us, and if anything happens to her, you will pay for it, not only by Aerith and Zack's hands- got it?"
Yuffie snorted, turning around again. "PU-lese. If something happened to Marlene, I'd un-happen it so quick no one would know what had happened. Like I'd let her get hurt anyway. Don't you trust me?" She began walking, leaving Tifa a ways behind.
"I trust you, Yuffie." Tifa's voice was a whisper. "It's this place I don't trust."
Unable to shake the feeling of uneasiness, she followed, toward the spindle-like toward that could be seen just poking over the trees farther up the mountain.
()()()()()
The Gate before them twisted; creaking slightly in the howling wind. It was iron, dirtied and rusty with the years that had passed while it stood there. It led way to a path, where dark trees and tall grass was all that could be seen, looming over the twisting footpath. In the distance, sticking out of the eerie trees like an unmarked grave in the grass was a castle, sitting on the mountainside as though it had been there for eternity-, which it very well could have been. The towers were tall and sharp, the castle itself seeming to be made with black stone. It was too far away to see any widows, and in the setting sun, no light seemed to come from the gate on- no light seemed able to touch it.
The three girls stared at it, in horrified awe.
"Who knew there was a castle here?" Yuffie muttered eyes fixed upon the gate, which seemed to be speaking as the wind roared past.
"Yeah..." Tifa suddenly gasped. "Do you hear it?" she hissed to Yuffie.
"Hear what?"
"Listen!"
Yuffie held her breath, straining her ears. Indeed, a sound came to her, beautiful, as it was haunting.
Leave this place...
A voice...?
Leave...before it is too late...
Another sound seemed to be growing, this one loud and roaring, drowning out the voice with the sound of screams- screams and cries and metal moving over metal- sounds that had no sound but seemed to be felt anyway- the sound of fear and despair, the sound of blood splattering to the floor...
"Marlene!"
Yuffie gave a start, shaking her head to see the little girl walking toward the gate. The sounds vanished immediately, left with an echo inside of her that would remain forever.
"Marlene!" Yuffie and Tifa ran at her, grabbing the little child's arms as she struggled against them.
"Yuffie!" Marlene cried. "I just want the doll!" With difficulty, due to the two older girls holding her, Marlene pointed to a small doll on the ground in front of the gate.
"Yuffie, get her the doll and let's just go back!" Tifa's voice was nearly a shriek.
"Okay," Yuffie nodded. Taking a deep breath, she stood, and walked toward the doll.
It was only a few feet from the gate, lying as though abandoned long ago. It was a beautiful doll, Yuffie supposed, picking it up. With it's golden brown hair tied back, and green eyes that seemed luminescent, (the doll reminded her of Aerith a little because of those features) and the white dress that was strapped to the body of a woman that seemed older than Yuffie, maybe as old as Shera, the doll was very beautiful. But a part Yuffie felt like dropping the doll as soon as she picked it up. A strange loneliness and despair seemed to radiate from the doll- along with a compressing feeling of being trapped with no way out. She shivered- Yuffie swore that the doll breathed. She handed it to Marlene with some relief, though she worried how the doll would affect the young girl.
Marlene merely giggled, clasping the doll's hand in her own. Yuffie grabbed the other, and the three girls ran from the place- though Tifa and Yuffie were unable to shake the echoes of the horrible sounds out of their souls. The run was almost all downhill, and Yuffie picked up Marlene, almost tripping in the process, so that she would not get left behind. Twisting through the trees, which suddenly seemed so ominous, they felt only relief to come to the edge of the forest at the bottom of the mountain.
Panting, standing on the road overlooking the small town, Yuffie flipped open her cell phone. "Damn," she hissed, ignoring Tifa's reproachful look and Marlene's glare at the language. "It is way to late. Aerith must be worried sick."
Tifa nodded, knowing that this could be a time for a good 'I told you so', but said nothing.
As they began walking down the road, toward where they had parked the car, she tried to strike up conversation.
"So, Marlene," Tifa said, as they approached the car. "Have you decided on a name for that doll yet?" Tifa opened the door of the car, getting in the driver's seat, despite Yuffie's pout.
"Oh!" Marlene said, as she strapped herself into the back seat. She smiled sweetly up at the two girls in the rearview mirror, hands clutching the doll to her chest.
"She told me that her name is Lucrecia!"
()()()()()
The house was small, painted a light blue, with a beautiful garden and a plastic archway over the front gate. The curtains were drawn, but light and movement came from within. From the car, Yuffie could see a pacing woman talking on the phone with large hand movements, indicating her worry and frustration.
"Well," Yuffie sighed, turning off the ignition. "It's now or never I suppose."
Tifa gave her a look that said 'We deserve to be punished, idiot.'
"Yeah, yeah. Come on Marlene, your mom's been worried sick about you." They got out of the car, shutting the doors as quietly as possible.
Yuffie took a deep breath as she stood before the door, one hand raised to grab the doorknob. Gulping, she grasped and turned it. Immediately, they were blinded by the bright light, squinting to make out Aerith's figure running toward them.
"Marlene! Oh, Marlene!" She cried, scooping the child up in her arms, sinking to her knees as relief washed over her. Tears feel down her face as the little girl hugged her back ("I'm okay momma, really!") and the little doll- Lucrecia –was still held clutched in her hand.
A man in the far corner had half-risen from his chair. He stared at the crying Aerith and the girls still standing in the doorway for a moment as though unsure what to do. He sighed in relief at the sight of Marlene, running a hand through his black hair. Deciding that Aerith would be cuddling the small girl for a while, he approached to two girls with a raised eyebrow.
"So." He said. "What happened?"
Tifa and Yuffie exchanged glances. "We drove too far out of town Zack," Yuffie muttered, looking away. "There was no reception and the car broke down."
Tifa stared at Yuffie for a moment before nodding and looking down, as though in defeat. "Yeah. We're really sorry. We didn't call when we got back because our phones were out of battery for trying so many times without reception."
"Hmmm." Zack stared at them for a minute. Then slowly, he nodded. He jerked his head toward the door which Aerith had just gone through- Marlene's room. "You should apologize to 'Rith anyway." He said, voice quiet. "She was frantic."
Yuffie and Tifa nodded vigorously, going quickly after Aerith.
They found her kneeling over Marlene's bed, stroking her hair as the little girl's eyelids fluttered. Aerith didn't look up as they approached. "Goodnight," she murmured, kissing Marlene's forehead lightly, tucking the blankets securely around her. Marlene yawned, bringing the doll closer to her cheek as her eyes closed. "Goodnight...momma..." she muttered, slipping into sleep.
"Hm." Aerith wiped at a stray tear making it's way down her cheek. Slowly, she walked to the window, through which the stars could now be seen. Her hands clasped at her chest. "Thank you," she murmured finally, turning with shimmering eyes to the two girls in the doorway. She smiled with such warmth and love that Tifa and Yuffie felt staggered for a moment. Aerith was a beautiful woman- but she had never looked so beautiful as she did to them at that moment. "Thank you," Aerith murmured again. "For keeping her safe."
The girls looked away, unable to bear such gratitude in her eyes. "Yeah..." they murmured. "No problem..."
Aerith shook her head, dropping her hands. "Where did she find that doll?"
"Side of the road..." Yuffie muttered.
"Hmm." Aerith nodded thoughtfully. Without another word, she came forward to hug the two girls, not much younger than herself. She said nothing, but held them for a moment. She stood back, smiling at them again. "Now," she said. "I know I'm not the only parent that must be worried sick. You two had better head home." Tifa and Yuffie followed her out the door.
Zack was looking out the window at the deserted street. He glanced over as they approached. "I called the police," He said. "Told them that everything was fine now."
"Thanks," Aerith murmured. He nodded.
Yuffie paused at the door, waving at them without turning around. "Bye," Tifa called, following Yuffie as she walked down the path to the car.
When they reached the car they both stopped, turning around to look back at the house.
Aerith stood in the doorway, smiling at them. Zack was behind her, his arms encircling her shoulders. She clasped them thankfully.
The girls could not shake the feeling of fear and trepidation- the feeling that something bad was going to happen. Shaking her head, Tifa got into the driver's seat, Yuffie in the passengers.
"They do look like a great couple," Tifa said, trying to draw their attention to something else that was on their minds as of late.
"Yeah. Their wedding two years ago was cool."
"Mmm-hmm."
"And they're best friends."
"Yeah." Tifa turned the wheel as they came to the road they lived on. The car stopped in front of the house that they shared, and would share, until Yuffie could get her own.
"Too bad they know that they're not in love with each other huh?"
"Yeah..." Tifa sighed. "I suppose it could be worse. I mean, Marlene never called Zack 'Daddy'. It won't really affect her at all."
"Uh-huh. That is a good thing." Yuffie blew strands of her short black hair out of her eyes. "I suppose everyone will be happier in the long run, even if it makes things awkward now."
Tifa nodded. "Do you know when the divorce papers get drawn up?"
()()()()()
Moonlight filtered through the window, falling on the child with an ivory light. Slowly she sat up, eyes only half open, dangling her feet over the side of her bed. The little doll that was clutched in her hand seemed to be speaking, so softly that no one but the little girl seemed to hear. The girl nodded, placing her feet lightly on the floor. Quietly, slowly, she began walking to the doorway.
She walked past the open door where her adoptive mother lay, sound asleep on the bed, one shoe still on. The girl walked past Zack in the guest room, past the bathroom and the couch in the living room. Slowly the girl came to the door that would lead outside.
"Okay Lucrecia," she whispered, eyes still half-closed. Her little hands grabbed the doorknob, turning it soundlessly. For a moment she stood illuminated in the doorway, her shadow being cast faintly on the carpet beneath her bare feet. She slipped on the pale mesh shoes that sat by the door, without looking at what she was doing. She stared at the huge mountain that towered above the city. Her eyes flickered over it, searching.
"I see. Alright, let's go..."
With that, the girl began walking toward the mountain, and the castle that sat upon it.
In the darkness, she could hear, and everyone that was dreaming could hear, faintly, such was the emotion behind it, the whisper of a small doll that was clutched in the little girl's fist.
I'm so sorry...Marlene...
There ya go. I've already started on the second chapter, which might be up later today or tommorow. To clarify a few things, Yuffie is 18, Tifa is 20 and Aerith is 22. She and Zack have been married two years, and Aerith adopted Marlene after Barret dissappeared.
Hope you all liked!
Reviews make me smile inside :)