Less Love Lest We Live
ACT I
SCENE I. The Highwind
Enter CLOUD and YUFFIE
[Crying can be heard in the distance]
Clo. What noise is this, that stirs me from my bed?
Yuf. A noise so painful, a noise of dread.
Love's heart frozen, and broke into twain, there to remain.
Clo. Dost thou speak of Aeris?
Yuf, Aye, that I do. For you, Sir, she calls day and night.
Clo. Alas! still she does not open her eyes.
Can she see not that cupid's arrow at her has blindly shot?
To her my heart does not go out.
Yuf. She does not see. Nay, she will not see.
For how can love see truth when truth delivers such a mortal blow?
Clo. Deliver her not to my chamber. Her vision shall haunt me!
Yuf. I pray you listen to me, Sir! Tears of woe transcend the night.
Sleep's bill doth heavier climb as it is forc'd to endure such noise.
Can you attend to her not? How can we in tiredness fight?
Clo. It matters much the battle in this war to me,
Thus come the 'morrow when the sun rises in the east,
I shall attend to this matter of Aeris personally.
Saying not "I love thee.", to such a noisy beast.
Exit CLOUD
Yuf. O Aeris! How canst thou for shame love someone thus?
Someone thus! a man handsome outside, yet ugly within?
The stars themselves do shiver with rage, a pitiful sight
ne'er seen in a thousand years, staining cloth with love's blood.
Nary a day goeth by without sorrow,
So I'll wish thee goodnight until cometh 'morrow.
Exit YUFFIE
SCENE II. The Cockpit in the Highwind
Enter RED XIII, CLOUD and CID
Red. As cometh the morn, I bring good tide.
Clo. A very good tide, I'm sure. Yet, ebb it freely?
Red. Aye, that it does. Thus, act quickly we must.
Sephiroth in the underworld sits, awaiting his army from the South.
Ill-illusioned be those men, charmed in spirit by his curse.
To the north is where he be, pass the rocky mountains.
Cid. Hast thou found Sephiroth? O Joyous day!
This is just cause for celebration.
Clo. Celebrate, we must not!
Cid. For many hours, days and weeks, have we fought
Never ceasing nary for a moment.
Canst thou ebb, my lord, my partner, my friend?
Clo. Thinkest thou much of celebration, Cid.
I would but chide weren't thou right.
Therefore, we shall pomp come this day's night.
Red. What od Aeris? Hast thou spoken with she?
Clo. She is the least of my troubles,
Do not cloud my thought with her image!
Just the notion of her brings bile to my gusset.
Denied, and chid, yet desperate still.
Can she see not that she is not loved?
Love itself hath fallen ill,
Associated with the pink devil.
Red. Sayest not devil, Cloud.
Clo. Say, troll! Goblin! Cankerblossom!
Cid. The heavens themselves are confounded,
With your confused mind impounded.
Aeris is a fair lady.
Clo. A fair maiden, aye, she is.
Yet, fair in spirit, be she not.
Cid. God's wounds, Cloud! Thou art confounded thyself.
Fair in spirit, body beautiful, just and well health.
A fatal flaw hath she for doting on thee!
In night's dark cloak are we kept lit,
Aroused by sorrow's moans.
Sunken into depression's pit.
From which only thou canst lift.
Exit CID and RED XIII
Clo. 'Tis tempting, for sooth, to end this matter.
Hark, O blasted Heavens! For such a cruel trick as this.
A young fair maiden, weak in heart, to dote on me thus.
Why am I repulsed by her image?
When the moon reveals itself in the eastern sky,
The time to strike love dead draweth nigh.
Exit CLOUD
SCENE III. Aeris' Bedroom
Enter YUFFIE and AERIS
Yuf. Canst thou speak well through thy tears?
Aer. Love's well becomes dry by sleep's bill.
I can cry no more.
Yuf. Peace, Aeris!
Thou art not ugsome, nor disfigur'd.
There be other men.
Aer. I love him most, and will set myself
To die upon his council. Hence, get from my sight!
Yuf. I shall stay! to console thee through the night.
Aer. Pardon my outburst, I am but consoled.
Never shall I wed at thou wilt do.
Never shall I feel beloved by him anew.
Once Cloud did rejoice in me soundly,
Yet, were I a cadaver, he shuddereth before mine eyne!
Cloud should be mine!
Yuf. What hast thou done to turn him thus?
Aer. Nothing! rather I fall upon my dagger!
Yuf. To question this affair, how strange it be!
For Cloud to have previously doted on thee.
And turned estrang'd and thy face repugnant.
To approach thee not, and breath hesitant.
Sephiroth's spell I do suspect thus,
And lift it quickly we must.
For if thou be curs'd, and thou must be,
In what end shall happen to thee?
Exeunt YUFFIE and AERIS
END OF ACT I