Cloud stood in the center of the lake, his gaze fixed on the glass surface. "Aeris..." he whispered to the water, touching it with his hand. A ripple spread out from his fingers, his reflection distorted by a myriad of tiny waves. His eyes were pulled towards the reflection as a twisted smile appeared on its face. He took a step back only to have it step forward. "Who are you?" he demanded. 'I'm you,' the reflection seemed to say without words. He shook his head, backing away from it, while it advanced towards him. "This... you're not real. You can't be." The reflection laughed, a mocking note in its voice. 'I'm as real as you are.' He turned to run, but felt a pair of cold fingers curl around his ankles, pulling him down. He thrashed against their grasp. His head was just inches above the surface. In the corner of his eye, he saw a figure on the shore reaching out for him, before he was suddenly pulled under, down into the depths of the lake.
He woke with a jolt, nearly banging his head against the bunk above. He sat there, cold sweat running down his face, as he struggled to calm himself.
"Just a dream," Cloud whispered. "Just a stupid dream." He swung both legs off the mattress and placed his face in his hands. He could hear soft breathing from the bunks above. "They must be still asleep. I wonder what time it is?" He reached down, tapping around on the floor with his fingers until grasping something soft. Pulling first one boot towards him and then the other, he slipped them onto his feet. He stood slowly, careful not to bang his head against the top bunk, and silently crossed the room. Grasping the cool handle, he pushed the door ajar and slipped quietly into the hall. The flickering ceiling bulbs cast a dim light along the small corridor. The ship vibrated and the shadows danced. His sharp ears picked out the hum of the engine from the decks below. Cloud sighed as he wandered down the hall. "It must early in the morning, some time after midnight." Boots ringing against the metal steps, he climbed to the top of the stairs and swung open the door. A blast of refreshing night air greeted him as he stepped outside. Cloud walked to the edge of the deck, gazing up at the stars that shone clearly in the dark sky. A chill wind from the north howled across the ship, blowing hard against his face.
"... Cloud!"
He jumped, spinning around, eyes searching the darkness for the one who had called his name. "Who's there?" he demanded, trying to keep the alarm out of his voice.
The sound of giggling echoed across the deck. "Did I scare the great, mighty Cloud?" teased Aeris, appearing from behind a wall of the cabin. Cloud's cheeks turned a light pink colour and he muttered something under his breath. "I heard you leaving the room. Everything all right?" She stood next to him now, leaning on the railing as she stared out into the sea.
"Yah," he replied calmly. "Just a nightmare."
"Oooo... scary, what was it about?"
Cloud looked away, mumbling, "I'd rather not say."
"That bad?" asked Aeris, gazing up at him. He had his back resting against the rail, with his head tilted up, eyes to the stars. He nodded slightly and she turned away, returning her gaze to the sea. The moon shone on a hundred sharp, black waves. She pushed a few locks of hair aside, only to have them blown back into her face.
"Thank you." She glanced up at him.
"For what?" Aeris asked, puzzled.
"For saving my life," Cloud answered, looking down at her. "If it weren't for you, I'd... be dead."
She smiled warmly, placing her hands on his. "You don't have to thank me. It was the least I could do. After all, Tifa would be heart broken." Cloud's cheeks turned pink again. Aeris chuckled, seeing his reaction. "You two make a nice couple."
"Really?" asked Cloud sheepishly. "You... ugh!" He never finished the sentence as a wave of dizziness gripped him. He grabbed the railing for support. The world rocked sickeningly around him.
"Cloud!" cried Aeris, catching him as he collapsed to his knees.
"...wa... ter," he stammered.
"What?"
"Something's... in... water..." Cloud faltered.
"Something is in the water?" asked Aeris, trying to understand. He nodded slowly, eyes closed tight. Aeris stood up and peered over the railing. She had a brief glimpse of a huge mass in the water before it rammed into the hull and sent her flying across the deck.
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Tifa woke with a start and tumbled out of the bunk. Her instincts kicked in, moving her feet and hands to brace her fall. She landed in a crouch and quickly stood, eyes darting around the room. It was empty, save for Cloud's sword, but that was too heavy to lift. She flung open the cabin door and ran down the hall. She clattered up the stairs, taking two, three steps in each stride, and burst out onto the deck. The boat shook violently as something crashed against its side. Tifa stumbled, but managed to stay on her feet. She spotted Aeris a few meters away, attempting to stand.
"Aeris!" Tifa yelled. "What's going on?"
"It's Emerald Weapon!" she shouted. "It's ramming the ship!" Tifa grit her teeth. "Tifa! Help Cloud! Something's wrong with him!" Aeris gestured towards a figure huddled against the railing. Tifa took off at a run, the deck rattling beneath her feet.
"Weapon must have punched a hole in the ship," she thought aloud. The craft gave another terrible shudder before pitching sideways. Tifa fell, hands striking the metal surface below her as her boots skidded across the deck. Her body slammed into the rail. She winced, then grabbed hold for dear life as a huge wave crashed over the side. The wail of sirens rose up from the boat, mixing with the roar of water and the deep rumble of something below the surface. With a piercing whine and a sharp crackle, the speakers came to life.
"All passengers and crew to the lifeboats!" came the voice of the captain. "I repeat, everyone abandon ship!"
Tifa spotted Cloud a meter away, clinging to the rail with his head bowed and eyes shut tight. "Cloud!" she shouted, struggling towards him. He was drenched with sea water, shivering hard. "Cloud we have to go, now!"
"...Tifa?" he asked weakly. He slowly opened his eyes, but immediately closed them again. The world was spinning and his vision blurred. He clung tighter to the metal bars.
"Cloud, the ship's sinking, we have to go," begged Tifa. She felt a tug on her shoulder, and glanced back to see Aeris standing behind her, with a hand on the rail for support.
"Tifa, the crew's almost evacuated," she shouted over the sirens. "We can't do anything here about the Weapon. We have got to leave!"
"... It's... coming," whispered Cloud. Tifa looked down at him, a confused expression on her face. He was breathing hard, his eyes still shut. "Coming... coming..." he murmured, "... come." There was a shriek as the hull twisted and buckled under the force of a sudden blow. The deck shuddered and lurched. Tifa braced herself against the handrail. From beneath the decks they could hear a long, low rumble like thunder.
"Cloud, can you stand?" Tifa asked hurriedly. He nodded slowly and struggled to his feet. Tifa pulled his left arm over her shoulder, Aeris did the same on the other side, and the three hurried to the lifeboats. The few sailors left on deck helped Cloud into the middle of one lifeboat. Aeris sat herself in the front and Tifa climbed into the back. The hands lowered the small craft into the water. There was a splash as it was caught by the dark waves, then with a clink they were free.
"This isn't good," said Aeris, her voice quavering. "Weapon's going to come after us, after me. I'm sorry for putting you in danger. I shouldn't have gotten you involved!"
"Don't say things like that," Tifa replied, grabbing the oars and starting to row them away from the sinking vessel. "We'll think of something." Cloud lay on the bottom of the lifeboat with his eyes squeezed tight. Aeris looked down at him, then up at Tifa.
"It's... coming," whispered Cloud. Tifa began to row faster.
"I... might be able to deter it," said Aeris slowly. "I don't know what effects it'll have though."
Tifa looked back to see a large bulge rising from the water. "Just do it!" she yelled.
Aeris nodded, taking a deep breath. "Hold on, this may get rough." She closed her eyes, clasping her hands in prayer. She began whispering words under her breath. Tifa's eyes were fixed on the dark shape, watching as it drew towards them, picking up speed. A green glow began to appear around Aeris. It grew brighter by the second. She opened her eyes and pointed her palms to the water. Tifa felt her breath catch in her lungs as shock waves pulsed out from the green glow. The last thing she remembered was a sensation of falling.
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Cloud stared up at a starry sky. Flower petals fell around him like snow. "... What am I doing here?" he asked the petals. He turned his gaze away from the heavens. Out of the corner of one eye, Cloud could see a dark figure, watching him. He sensed the stranger's invisible eyes search him, raking up and down his very being. A shiver ran up his spine. He tried to run away, but found his feet couldn't move. His pulse quickened as the shade drew near. He struggled to move his legs, but they were frozen in place. The silhouette stopped right before him. Cloud looked up at the towering spectre, his heart pounding in his ears. "Stay away!" he yelled and swung out an arm. His hand met with nothing but air.
Cloud's eyes snapped open. He was staring at the dark silhouette of his arm, framed against the bright morning sun. He winced and squinted his eyes. "Where am I?" he wondered, slowly pushing himself upright. A dull ache had engulfed his body. His breath came out in small puffs of vapour on the cold morning air. "What happened?" The last clear memory he had was heading up to the deck for air. After that, everything became a bit hazy. A nightmare, perhaps? He looked around, finding to his surprise that he was sitting in a lifeboat, adrift on the ocean. Tifa and Aeris were lying at either end of the small craft, sleeping. Or at least, he thought they were sleeping. A cold wind whistled across the water. Cloud shivered, and fear began to take hold.
"Tifa!" he exclaimed, his voice sounding strange to his ears. "Hey, wake up." He shook her gently with his right hand. She opened her eyes and blinked. "Tifa, are you all right?"
"Cloud?" she asked, slowly pulling herself up. "I think... I'm all right." He nodded, turning to Aeris.
"Aeris, hey, Aeris wake up," he said, also giving her a gentle shake. A sharp pain ran up his arm, causing him to wince and pull away. He flexed it, frowning. "It looks all right," he thought.
"Cloud, everything okay?" asked Tifa, peering over his shoulder.
"I don't know," he answered truthfully. Aeris let off a groan as she opened her eyes. Cloud turned to look at her, "Aeris, are you all right?"
"I'm fine," she answered, sitting up. "Just stiff from laying funny in the boat."
"What happened?" he asked, scanning the horizon. For as far as the eye could see, the ocean was a mass of undulating grey, without any sign of ships or land. They were entirely alone.
"Well," began Aeris, shifting to a more comfortable position, "Emerald Weapon attacked us. Do you remember that at all?"
He frowned, searching his memories. "No... not really. All I remember is talking to you then..." he fell silent, pondering something. After a moment he shook his head. "I only remember this strange sensation I was having. I don't know how to describe it. I'm sure I've had that feeling once before." He turned a thoughtful gaze towards Tifa. "In... Mideel, I think. It's hard to say though, everything around then is so... muddled."
Tifa nodded. "Yah, I think I heard you say something similar then, like, 'they're coming.' I don't know for sure. But it was right before Ultimate Weapon attacked."
"Sounds as if you may have a knack for sensing Weapon," mused Aeris.
"We don't know that for sure," muttered Cloud. "Hey... if we were getting attacked by Emerald Weapon, how are we still alive?"
Tifa's eyes fell on Aeris. "What was that spell thing you used anyway?"
Aeris hesitated, looking down at her feet. "It's... uh..." she fell silent, studying her shoes. "... It's a limitbreak of sorts. The planet told me only to use it as a last resort."
"Why's that?" asked Cloud.
"Well," answered Aeris quietly, "it doesn't just effect Weapons. As you saw, Tifa, it's harmful to us as well."
"Exactly how harmful?" asked Tifa nervously.
"The planet told me that it'll kill those who have been exposed to it for too long," answered Aeris. Cloud felt suddenly cold, his voice lost. Tifa was silent as well. Aeris continued staring at her footwear.
"Kill?" asked Tifa weakly after a while. "As in dead?" Aeris nodded her head, although it wasn't really neccesary. Her grim expression said it all. "How much exposure are we talking here?"
"I don't... know."
"And we're not going to find out," said Cloud gruffly. "We have to find land before Emerald Weapon decides to come snooping about again."
"Good idea," Tifa began, "but we don't even know where we are. How are we going to find land?"
"Well, we're up north, somewhere," supplied Aeris. "I think we just choose a direction to go and at some point we'll hit land."
"That's not a good idea!" Tifa protested. "We could end up out here for months with little food. We'll starve."
"No we won't," Cloud said firmly, hoping to stop Tifa from panicing. "Look, we don't have many options at the moment and just sitting here drifting isn't doing us any good. Tifa, you and I will row. Aeris, you keep an eye out for anything. Is that all right?" The two of them nodded, Tifa after a moment's hesitation. Aeris turned around and sat, kneeling in the bow, her long hair flowing in the breeze. Cloud crept back towards the stern of the boat, picking up one paddle as Tifa took the other. They dipped the blades into the water and rowed. For a while the only sounds were the slosh of paddles through water and the lapping of waves against the sides of their raft.
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Hey! Remember me? I've finally got around to uh... posting that chapter I promised heh... four months ago? Oops... the reason you ask? Well, let me ask you, what happened to my reviewers? You all went poof along with me it seems. Anywhoo I'm back! I'm not going to make any promises this time when the next chapter will be posted since my wonderful editor, who is currently breathing down my back is very very very busy being drowned with uni work.
