Back from darkness
First chapter: Drowning myself in your gaze
"Aerith?" Yuffie softly called opening the door of the dark room where Aerith was resting, for two hours in the middle of the evening, without making any noise, worrying Yuffie. "Aerith?" She called again, hearing nothing but the slowly breath of the sleeping girl. Suddenly something moved and she heard the sound of the sheets of Aerith's bed. "Are... Are you awake?" She asked insecurely.
"I am now..." Aerith said in a soft yawn. Yuffie grinned and headed to the window. In a quick gesture she drew the curtains, letting the light in, to open the glowing green eyes of the girl on the bed. She raised her hand to her eyes, covering them.
"Wake up sleeping beauty!" Yuffie giggled always in a cheerful way. "It's such a beautiful day!"
"I wish I could say the same thing with all that happiness..." Aerith mumbled looking away. Surely, remembering the reason for all her sadness and tiredness. Yuffie blinked at her friend, her smile fading away from her lips.
"Aerith... I know you miss him... But... He..." Is not coming back... Yuffie cut off, not wanting to continue, afraid of the impact it would take on her. Aerith looked up at Yuffie and sighed.
"Please... Maybe... Maybe I'm overreacting about all this... but I can't stop thinking about him!" A tear came to her eye as the thought of him. "I don't know how to explain...
"I think you are so strong... Even missing him, you try your best to live smiling every day!" Yuffie admired, but Aerith didn't think the same way. I smile because I don't want to look weak amongst you and the others, although I find that so difficult for me to control... "I know something that might cheer you up!" Yuffie grinned looking at the confused green eyes of Aerith. "Squall... is worried about you! He was the one asking me to come and see if you were ok!" Aerith felt her cheeks hot and tried to cover her face looking down, letting her hair cover most of it. She wandered why she was feeling like that. After all... Leon is my friend! He... has the right to be worried... I think!
"Yuffie... Why would that cheer me up?" She asked trying not to sound very interrested. But then, the image of Cloud filled her eyes. "Never mind that..." She added quickly. Why am I like this? Is it because Leon reminds me so much of Cloud? Is it because, when I'm talking with Leon... Something in his blue eyes make me remember him?
"Hum..." Yuffie started thoughtful. "Right... Get up now! Let's meet Cid and Squall downstairs!" Aerith sighed and rose to her feet. Yuffie left her and the girl taking off her white long t-shirt, she used for sleeping, dressed her soft pink dress. Looking at the mirror, she tied her hair in a pony tail with her pink ribbon. Watching closely her image she shook her head. There's no reason to look at the mirror...
***
"She will be here in a minute!" Yuffie informed approaching Leon and Cid. Leon sighed relieved. I wander why I worry so much about her! Noticing how Leon was motionless, Yuffie grinned at the boy. "You hide really bad that you worry about Aerith!"
"And what is that supposed to mean?" Leon asked cooly at the giggling girl.
"It means that you and Aerith-
"Were you talking about me?" Aerith's sweet voice cut off, thankfuly for Leon who looked away trying to hide his blushing cheeks. What's wrong with you Leon?! She's not even special for you! He kept saying to himself.
"Oh yeah! But never mind! We weren't talking bad stuff about you!" Cid said smiling at the sleepy girl in pink.
"I'm glad!" She said raising a hand to her chest. "Listen... I'm going to take a walk, ok? Just to get some fresh air!" The others looked at her in surprise but she had all the right to leave whenever she wanted. Leon watched her while she was crossing the room towards the door. His greyish blue eyes looking atentively at her long brown hair, her slim white body... Her gestures, touching carefuly on the door knob and rounding it slowly. He caught himself lost in Aerith. Realizing that, he quickly shook his head and passed a hand through his brown hair.
"Squall Leonhart! You were checking Aerith out!" Yuffie said making sure Aerith had left. Leon glared at her.
"I wasn't!" He replied back at the girl.
"Oh you were! I saw it!" She answered back at him. He rolled his eyes and walked away.
"Whatever..."
***
Looking up at the sky, Aerith breathe the air as the wind tenderly waved her fringe. It's such a beautiful day! Yuffie's words echoing through her mind, although to Aerith it was just another empty day. She started walking, passing by the item shop, climbing up the stairs and arriving to the next district. People she recognized passing by her... Some smiled at her, others she kept going on with their lives. I have to live on with my life... Yuffie is right... I can't stay like this! I miss him, but... A voice, calling her name, breaking her thoughts. She turned to see who it was.
"Aerith!" The voice called again. Her eyes widened when she saw who it was. Leon approached her with the same coldness of his across his face. She remained stunned. "Hum... You... dropped this bracelet on the floor when you left." He said handing her a silver bracelet. She looked at it for a second and her eyes met his.
"Thanks... I guess!" She said turning her back at him and walking away. Not expecting that reaction coming from her, he shrugged his shoulders and walked the other way. Women!
"That.... idiot!" She mumbled to herself. It wasn't of her to have that kind of thoughts but his way of being, was driving her crazy. Just because of my bracelet... But then again... What was I expecting?!
***
He sat on the couch with a heavy sigh coming out from his mouth. Rinoa... It scared him the thought of never seeing her again... Why? Why do this things only happen to good people? Why wasn't it me instead of her? We were so close that time and then, in a minute, all was lost... He squeezed his fists until it hurt, thinking about that day. No... Forget about it... It's Past... But, what if I don't want it to be Past? A painful scream outside "woke him up". He headed to the street where he met Yuffie.
"A heartless!" She yelled pointing to the middle of the square where people were running around, screaming and panicking. He took out his sword from his belt and ran towards the dark being. Soon, with a slice, there was no heartless.
"What on hell was a heartless doing here? One heartless!" Cid came running to them. Leon shrugged his shoulders and Yuffie looked motionless at the place where the heartless had been.
"Something is wrong..." Leon finaly said, breaking the silence, a thing that he appreciated but it was not necessary in a time like this.
"Do you have any idea of what brought it here?" Cid asked curiosly. Leon shook his head and, strangely, Yuffie said nothing.
Aerith, aware of the panic from other people arrived next to them, breathless from the running.
"What happened?" She asked putting one hand on Yuffie's shoulder to recover her breath. Yuffie shivered as the touch of Aerith's hand, noticed by Leon.
"One heartless..." Cid informed with a confused expression forming in his face. Aerith stared at them, open mouth.
"One heartless... But, just one? Why?" She asked to her friends though none of them knew what to say to the girl in pink. "Did anyone got hurt?" Cid shook his head. Something in the three of them was making her restless and nervous. What's wrong with them? They seem so distant...
***
During dinner the silence became scarier, like it was threatening them to remain between the four. A shiver crossed Aerith's spine, making her tremble notoriously. She didn't like that silence... It made her unconfortable. Leon kept his lips pressed in a thin line, revealing nothing but doubt and insecurity. Not showing any concrete emotion. Yuffie, was in silence too, which was really not her. As for Cid, confusion was all he was showing them. The boys cleared the table and the girls washed the dishes.
"Yuffie..." Aerith started breaking the threatening silence. Yuffie didn't looked at her, she just kept washing the plate on her hands. "What's wrong between you and them?"
"Nothing... Why do you ask?" Yuffie said, her voice shaking. Aerith closed her eyes for two seconds. Thinking of what could possibly be scaring them. Was it the heartless' "visit" what was causing all these trouble in their heads?
Yuffie, not making any noise, left them on the living room from the hotel, followed later by Cid. She took a step forward to leave Leon on his own, when she felt a hand stoping her moves. She looked back to see Leon holding tightly her arm.
"Do you have any idea of what happened today?" He asked, his voice roaring deep inside. She looked at his hand on her arm, avoiding his eyes. "One heartless attacked! It almost killed a person. And do you know what is worst? What is worst is the fact that if one could enter in Traverse Town... Others... can come in too... And if they attack Traverse Town... There's going to be a problem." He explained. She wandered why she hadn't thought about that. How stupid of me! Of course...
"Leon... I'm scared..." She confessed, tears forming in her eyes. He let her arm free and touched her chin, making her look at him.
"We are strong... We can protect this World. We just have to do some training to be prepared for the heartless." He calmed her with his words.
"I just don't want it to happen again... I can't bare any more pain. I can't bare loosing people I love again." She said, this time, letting her tears fall down her cheeks. So, she lost someone special too... He thought not moving his eyes from hers.
"If we train harder... We can beat them if they come. I swear it to you." He said, still in a motionless expression. She nodded once and looked through the window at the dark night outside. The enormous moon shining upon, iluminating the street at the back of the hotel. The water seemed white under the moonlight.
"I'll go sleep now. Thank you Leon." She said walking away from him. Under his cold way... There's a sweet man after all. She thought. Aerith had that gift to look deeper in anyone's soul and bring up the good in all the people. I hope he's right...
"Aerith!" He called quickly. She looked back again and he gave two steps to her, but the unexpected happened. He tripped on the carpet, falling on Aerith. Both, on the floor. Their noses almost touching. Cloud... A tear fell again down her cheek.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi! I hope you like this first part! Aerith, Cloud and Squall are my favourite characters in all Final Fantasy series. Please send me reviews! I would really appreciate it! J Tell me what you think please!
Love,
Mint
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~