A/N: So… I was on the Kingdom Hearts crack pairing generator and it gave me four very interesting pairings. Consider this to be ¼ of my ongoing crack series!
Eheh, I was a bit unsure about this one since I don't know much about Cloud and I don't know much about Selphie, but I wanted to try my hand at it anyway. x3
Takes place at an undetermined (slightly AUish) point in KH2.
Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I own nothing but my own little world. ^^
x – x –x
He wonders how he ended up here.
A beach, with the sunset reflected upon clean white sands and the waves sweeping languidly toward his feet.
He trudges through the sands—awkwardly, because his combat boots slip and fall deeper into the grainy surface. His footprints leave shadows in their wake; he cannot help but stare in his belief that he is tainting this pristine island with his darkness.
There is a girl perched at the edge of a dock, bright emerald eyes and brown curling hair. For a moment, he is stricken with awe. She looks just like her, and he senses a familiar aura of light within this childish girl, with her feet dangling above the water and an easy smile upon her lips. She notices him and her mouth forms into an 'o'.
"Hey! Haven't seen you around here before," the girl calls cheerily, kicking her sandaled feet, "but that's okay. Strangers come here, sometimes." She takes in his slightly haggard appearance with nothing but a warm smile, and then notices the sword he bears with a tilt of her head. "What's your name? Are you a soldier?"
His boots sink a little further into the sand and he thinks, vaguely, that this girl is much chattier than Aerith ever was. Part of him doesn't want to tell her, or even speak to her, but the other part doesn't really mind. He's been wandering in the darkness for so long now... perhaps he does long for some semblance of human interaction.
"Cloud," he answers shortly, and then realizes she's waiting for a different answer. "I was, once. But that was in the past." He averts his eyes, stares at the way the tide licks at his boots. He is reminded of the growing darkness, of Hades and heartless and a man named Sephiroth...
"Don't look so sad, Cloud," she chides, and the teasing lilt of her voice causes him to blink. "I'm sure you'll find it someday soon—whatever it is you're looking for."
When he looks up again, he sees a young woman clad in pink and red with a ribbon tied around her hair. The phantasm vanishes and his frown softens.
"Someday. She tells me those same words." He pauses before adding, "you... remind me of her."
"Don't keep her waiting then, silly!" She crosses her arms and pouts. A sigh spills from her lips like a bottled-up secret. "I'm waiting for someone too."
He regards her carefully. "For your light?"
"I don't know." Her voice is light and wistful, nearly lost to the ocean waves stirring beneath her feet. She cracks a smile. "I'm still waiting for my memories to return."
His heart throbs in painful recognition, because he knows those words so well that he can't remember what they mean to him anymore.
"But you know what?" She hops off of the wooden pier and walks over to him with her bright green eyes and warm smile. He notices how light her footsteps are upon the sand; she leaves behind no shadows for the monsters to lurk within. "You remind me a little bit of him, too."
He averts his eyes again, because she's leaning forward in that same curious and playful way. "...Really."
She throws her head back and laughs, girlish giggles echoing on the sea-breeze. "Well personality-wise, he's nothing like you, Mr. Broody Pants! But he's got that same spiky hair. I swear, that must be a new fashion trend or something!" She mimics his unruly spikes atop her own head with playful fingertips.
Cloud doesn't reply, merely feigns a blasé look in spite of his embarrassment. Her laughter is a warm echo of the constant hubbub back at Merlin's house; he wonders, idly, if she would get along better with Aerith or Yuffie.
Her giggles die down and she laces her hands together behind her back as she gazes out towards the sky. "I don't remember much about him, but I remember how strong he was. He didn't carry a giant sword like you, though; it was a different kind of strength." The sea-breeze tousles her hair and the sunset imbues her voice with passion.
She speaks, and Cloud begins to listen.
"Back when we played together, he would always be the hero. Our other friend, Riku, would be the villain—and he never played fair! They fought and fought and even when this boy, the hero, defeated Riku, he always gave him a second chance. 'Cause even though Riku played tricks on him, he knew that deep down... Riku didn't really want to be a villain. So he never gave up and insisted that they both be heroes, and that was that!" She turns to him. "Amazing, right?"
Cloud's eyes are closed. Memories of his time at the Coliseum swirl through his mind like a deluge: his contract under Hades, the underhanded tactics, the compassion of a boy clad in red and yellow...
"Yeah. That's the kind of strength I'm looking for," he admits. "Strength for my friends; strength to forgive, and forget... otherwise, the darkness within me will never go away." He opens his eyes. "You'll find your friend one day."
"You think so?" Her emerald eyes grow glossy and hopeful.
"Just don't lose sight of the light, and he'll find his way back here." His lips threaten to quirk into a smile. "He's still searching."
Her face breaks out into a grin, because suddenly, she knows her hero is safe. "Yeah. I sure hope so!"
They watch the sun bleed crimson across the horizon; she sees dawn and he sees dusk, but at the end of the day, they leave as two people on opposite ends of one journey.
Waiting for memories and light and loved ones to return...
x – x – x
A/N: Heh… I didn't exactly mean for it to turn into a Clephie with implied Cloud x Aerith and Sora x Selphie, but I don't think it could've worked out otherwise. o.e Ah well, the more subtext the better… right? :D I hope so.
Anyways, I really did enjoy writing this piece. It was very cathartic for me. :3
Please leave a comment/review if you liked it, and would like to see the next installment! I am very excited for this series, and I can only hope that others feel the same.
Thank you so much for reading! :D