Heartbreak- Part 3
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Squaresoft. Sailor Moon belongs to whoever owns Sailor Moon. Either way, don't sue me please!
A/N: This whole story takes place after Meteor, which is why one of the characters in this part won't remember Cloud.
A/N #2: I know this overlaps part 2, and I'm sorry.
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The subway train slowly rocked back and forth as it shot down the track. Cloud's head lolled over to land against the window, and he subconsciously moaned. A second later, he opened his eyes.
"What the…?" he muttered as he rubbed his eyes and blinked rapidly to clear them. When his vision returned, he looked around and remembered where he was.
"Damn," he murmured as he thought about the look Aeris had worn when he'd walked out of their house. 'I'm sorry Aeris, but it couldn't be helped,' he thought.
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'I'm sorry Aeris, but it couldn't be helped,' entered Aeris' mind. She smiled and nodded, even though there was no one near her. 'I know Cloud,' she thought back, knowing he could hear her because they both had a bit of psychic abilities, her more than Cloud though. 'I know, and it's alright. I'm coming to meet you…. I want to be with you. Together we will find our daughter.'
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Theresa sighed in relief as she took her first steps for the first time in over 24 hours. She was a bit shaky, but she had David to lean on for support.
"Are you okay?" asked David, as Theresa began to walk slowly around the room.
She nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay. Can we go now?"
David smiled, happy she was okay. "Sure, as soon as I sign some papers at the front desk, and thank the nurses for taking care of you so well. And I guess… we'll go from there. That okay with you?"
"Yeah," said Theresa. "Let's go."
So down they went. David signed the necessary forms, thanked the doctors and nurses who took care of her, and then they left the hospital.
When they were outside, Theresa turned to David. "What do we do now David? I have no money, and I'm still recovering a bit. What are we going to do?"
David bent over and kissed the top of her head. They turned a corner, and then David gave her his answer.
"We'll manage," he said. "I have money in my college account I can use. There's enough there to last us for at least a year. I can get a job."
"I can get a job too…" she started to protest, but stopped when David halted in his tracks.
"Not until you're better Theresa, and I mean it. I don't want you getting sicker.
Please understand. When you're much better, you can get one. Alright?"
Theresa sighed heavily and looked down at the ground. "Alright, I supposed. I don't really have a choice, do I?"
David chuckled. "Not really."
"Where will we sleep tonight?" asked Theresa.
"Good question." David thought for a moment, and then he put an arm around Theresa's waist. "We can sleep in a motel. I know a quaint one just a couple blocks away. It's not the Ritz, but it will do. That okay with you?"
"Sure. I'm getting tired, so I wouldn't mind a nap."
David smiled. "Alrighty then, to the motel we are going."
Arms around each other, they walked down the block and disappeared around a corner.
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On some highway, heading towards Midgar……..
Luke snarled to no one in particular as he gunned his motorcycle and sped down the highway. He weaved himself between the cars, cursing loudly when one of them wouldn't move out of his way.
'That bitch is going to pay for leaving me. I'll beat her within an inch of her life, and then I'll beat some sense into her.'
Another car honked its horn as Luke shot out in front of it and cut it off.
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Over at the Chocobo Farms….
Cloud stepped off the train. The main farmhouse of the Chocobo farm loomed over him. He stepped inside, and immediately scanned the inside of the barn for a man named 'Chocobo Bill.'
He found him by an end stall, inspecting a Chocobo's feathers.
'Hey Bill," said Cloud.
Bill looked up from the Chocobo. "Hey Cloud. What can I do for you?"
"I have a favor to ask," said Cloud solemnly.
Bill nodded. "Sure, what is it?" he asked.
Cloud got a serious look on his face, and his eyes filled with tears. Bill noticed this, but didn't say anything.
"My… my daughter is missing. She and my wife fought. She left that night, and we are presuming the worst. Have you seen her?"
"My God Cloud, I didn't know. No, I haven't seen her."
Cloud sighed, and looked upwards, then looked back down at Bill. "Then here's my favor. Can I borrow one of your Chocobos, just until I find her, and then I'll return it."
"Shoot Cloud, of course you can."
"Thanks Bill." Cloud smiled first the first time in days. "Which Chocobo can I take?"
Bill thought for a second, then made his decision. "You can have the one in the first stall."
Cloud ran down the length of the barn, flung open the stall door, mounted the Chocobo, and led it out of the stall. He looked down at Bill. "Thank you Bill. As soon as we find her, I'll let you know."
"Good luck Cloud," said Bill.
"Thank you Bill." Then Cloud turned the Chocobo, and was gone from sight in just a few seconds.
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Aeris was lost in thought as she sat in the train seat. The train rocked slightly from side to side, and Aeris swayed with it. She closed her eyes, and images of her daughter appeared.
'Where are you Theresa?!' cried Aeris in her mind. 'I will find you! Just give me a sign of where you are, or who you're with, if you're with anyone!'
Suddenly, a couple who appeared to be very into each other, sat down in the two seats sitting across from Aeris. The boy smiled, and kissed his companion on the nose. She giggled, then kissed him full on the mouth. Aeris blushed and averted her eyes. The boy noticed this and went a bright red.
"Uh….." he stuttered as he tried to find the right thing to say.
Aeris looked up at him and smiled. "Don't mind me, I'll move if you want." She stood up and was about to move to another seat when the young man reached out and grabbed her arm.
"Wait, stay. We'll move. We didn't mean to disturb you, right Serena?" he looked at the young woman in his arms.
She nodded. "Right." Serena looked at Aeris. "Don't mind us. We will go."
She took the young man's hand, stood, but realized he hadn't gotten up. "Darien," she whined. "Let's go. We shouldn't bother her anymore."
Aeris sat back down. "You're welcome to stay, obviously. This is a public train, and you can sit across from me, I don't mind." Aeris smiled at the couple.
Darien looked wary. "Are you sure it's okay?" he asked Aeris.
Aeris beamed at him. "Of course. Have a seat."
"Alright, thank you. Come on, sit down Serena," he said to his girl, and she sat down.
Darien looked over to Aeris. "So, where are you going?" he asked her, a small smile on his face.
Aeris' smile faded, and she looked out the train window instead of looking at Darien. "My… my daughter is missing," she confessed. Darien's smile faded. "We had a fight, and she left that night, because when her father and I went up to see her the next morning, she was gone. My husband has gone after her, and forbade me to follow." Aeris shifted her gaze to the ground. "But I decided to follow home. I know he took this train, but I don't know where he got off at." She sighed loudly. "I can only guess."
Darien's face went white, and Aeris noted that Serena clutched his hand tightly.
"I'm… I'm sorry," the young lady murmured.
Aeris smiled sadly. "It's alright."
Darien looked at Aeris, and in a split second, made up his mind. "Let us help you," he said.
Aeris was taken aback. "You.. you can't mean that," she stammered.
Darien nodded, his face serious. "I do. If I left you like this, all alone and worried, I'd feel so guilty. And then if something should happen to you, I'd never be able to forgive myself."
Aeris was silent.
Serena, on the other hand, looked up at Darien in disbelief. "You mean that?" she asked quietly.
"Yes," was the reply.
Serena looked at him for another few seconds, then sat back in her seat and looked over to Aeris. "I'll help you too," she said.
Aeris' eyes teared up, and she knew she was going to cry. Quickly she looked around in her dress pocket for a tissue, but didn't find one. So instead she raised a hand to her face and tried to wipe away her tears.
A hand holding a handkerchief was suddenly thrust into her face. Aeris pulled back, then accepted it and looked up. Serena beamed at her.
"Here," she said softly.
Darien smiled. "It's mine. I usually keep one on hand, as Serena cries almost on a regular basis.
Serena glared at Darien, who only laughed. Aeris smiled, and Darien smiled back. Aeris wiped here eyes, and gave him his handkerchief back.
"Thank you," she said. He nodded. Aeris hesitated here, but continued on. "I also accept your offer to help me find my daughter." Aeris bowed her head. "Arigato."
Darien smiled at her. "Glad we can help. So, where are you getting off?"
Right before Aeris could answer, the loudspeaker switched on, and the conductor's voice boomed out over the train.
"The next stop is…. Kalm. We will be arriving at the station in about two minutes, so please gather your belongings and be sure you don't leave anything on board." Then the loudspeaker switched off.
Aeris looked to the couple sitting across from her. "Is it alright if we get off here?" she asked.
Darien nodded, "Of course." Aeris nodded, then stood up and held onto her seat as the train began to slow down.
Darien looked at where Aeris had been sitting, and looked confused. "Where's your stuff?" he asked.
Aeris looked at him. "I have nothing else," she said. Then the train stopped, and the three of them got off the train. After they'd managed to get themselves out of the crowd, they grouped together by a vending machine.
"Well, where to now?" Darien asked Aeris.
"To the Chocobo Farm," said Aeris. Serena and Darien got a confused look on their faces.
"What's… a Choc-o-bo?" she asked.
Aeris grinned. "Just wait. We have to go there first because it'll be easier to get around. Chocobos are used as a form of transportation around here." Aeris thought for a moment. "Hey… if you live here, how come you don't know what a Chocobo is?"
Sweat started to form on Darien's forehead, and Serena looked down at the ground.
Darien looked up at Aeris, a serious look on his face. "We'll tell you later, okay?"
Aeris nodded. "Alright." She looked around, then waved down a taxi. They climbed in, and Aeris directed the driver to the Chocobo Farm by the Swamp where the Midgar Zolom lived.
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In a motel somewhere in Midgar……
David had his arm around Theresa as they walked into the motel room they'd rented for a few days. The door swung open, and Theresa looked around the inside. 'It could be worse,' she thought to herself. 'This is actually a pretty good room. I owe David so much.'
"So, do you like it?" asked David, waking her out of her thoughts.
Theresa nodded, still at awe of David's generosity. She turned to face him. "I want you to know how much I appreciate it," she said. "If it weren't for you, I'd probably be out on the streets right now."
He smiled down at her, and to her surprise, blushed. "Aw, don't make it seem like much. I didn't so anything….."
"Except keep me off the streets, where anything could have happened to me."
David said nothing, just looked down at the ground.
Theresa looked around the room again, and noted that it had only one bed.
"There's… only one bed," she said, her face going red at the idea of her and David sleeping together, whether or not it was in a romantic way.
David turned to look at her, a sheepish look on his face, and splashes of crimson staining his cheeks. "I know," he said.
"Well….. where am I going to sleep if you have the bed?" she asked.
"Uh……." Was the response.
"Well?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips, even though she knew the answer he was about to say.
"I…. Was figuring we could share the same bed." David said the last part under his breath, but Theresa still heard him. She blushed a deep red and looked away.
"Is that a problem with you?" asked David hastily.
She shook her head slowly. "I guess not." Theresa looked around the room once more, then noticed the bathroom.
"I'm going out to get me an outfit David, and then I'll be back, okay?"
"Alright, just be careful," he said. "It'll be getting dark soon."
"Oh go away, you're starting to sound like my mom," she said, but in a playful tone of voice so David would know she was kidding.
Then she walked out the door and shut it behind her.
"I mean it," said David to the air.
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At the Chocobo Farms…..
Aeris thanked the taxi driver, then watched the taxi as it drove off. She turned back towards Serena and Darien, and grinned when she saw them stare at the large yellow birds in awe. She walked over to them, and they turned when they heard her coming.
"So… these are Chocobos?" he asked, pointing to one.
Aeris nodded. "Yeah, and I'm going to see if I can rent three of them."
"Why three?" inquired Serena.
"Because we're all going to ride on. One Chocobo can't take three people on its back, you know." Aeris paused to let her words sink in, and then burst out laughing at the look on their faces.
"Oh, don't worry," she said. "They're really nice to you as long as you have some greens with you."
"Greens?"
"Special plants that only Chocobos eat," explained Aeris. She headed to the main barn, and motioned for Serena and Darien to follow her, which they did.
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Inside the barn………
Aeris spotted Chocobo Bill almost immediately, and she jogged over to him. Bill heard her and looked up from the Chocobo stall he was cleaning.
"Why, hello Aeris, what can I do for you?" he asked cheerfully.
"Have you seen my husband?" asked Aeris anxiously.
"Actually, yes I have," he said, slightly surprised by the question. "He was here just a few hours ago. He asked to borrow a Chocobo, and I let him."
"Did he say where he was going?" said Aeris breathlessly.
"No, just that e was going to look for your daughter."
"Damn," cursed Aeris under her breath. She sighed, then ran her hands through her hair. "Um…. I have another favor to ask of you," she said.
"Sure, what is it?" asked Chocobo Bill.
"I need to borrow three Chocobos. Do you have three you can spare?"
Chocobo Bill looked around the barn, then back at Aeris and nodded. "You can have the three Gold ones on the end, if that's okay with you."
"Of course."
"Do the other two people know how to ride?"
"I'll teach them," said Aeris briefly. "Can I buy some greens off of you too?"
"Sure." So Aeris bought the greens, and then she took the three Chocobos back outside to where Serena and Darien were waiting for her.
"Well, here they are," she said, holding the two sets of reins out to them. "Take one and get on."
Both took their reins and looked at the large yellow birds nervously, as if they expected them to suddenly rear up and start to buck around.
"Um…. How do we get on?" asked Serena.
"Oh yeah. Look and I'll show you." So Aeris demonstrated how to ride a Chocobo, and Darien and Serena imitated her. Finally they were ready to go, with no major injury having had occurred.
"Ready to go?" asked Aeris.
"Yes," said Serena and Darien in unison. Aeris whipped her reins, and the Chocobo took off, with Darien and Serena following her closely behind.
"Where are we going?" asked Serena loudly as their Chocobos began to pick up their speed.
"To Mideel," Aeris shouted back over her shoulder.
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Somewhere down south at Rocket Town….
Cloud jumped off his Chocobo and tied it to the town's outer fence. He'd heard about a man in this town who had a magnificent airship, and maybe Cloud could use that instead of a Chocobo to find his daughter.
Cloud strolled inside the town, and was amazed at what he saw. At the far end of the town, towering up over all the houses, was an old, rusted rocket. It leaned at a steep angle, and Cloud was surprised it hadn't fallen over yet.
Cloud shook his head, then focused his attention on finding the one called "The Captain." A woman walked by, and Cloud walked up to her.
"Excuse me ma'am, I'm looking for someone called "The Captain." I was told I could find him here. Do you know where I can find him?" asked Cloud.
The woman grinned. "Sure." She turned around and pointed to the old rocket. "You can find him up there in his rocket, sir." Then she smiled at him once more and walked away.
Cloud sighed, then set off for the rocket, hoping the Captain would let him borrow his rocket.
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In the motel in Midgar.….
David sighed, then turned over restlessly in the bed as he waited for Theresa to return. Even though she'd only been gone about an hour and a half, he was already worried. He turned over again, and was immensely relieved when he heard their motel room click open, then shut. He heard her move around the room, then disappear into the bathroom to change, he presumed. Two minutes he heard the water run, and he knew she was taking shower.
She came out a couple minutes later. She had on a bathrobe and, David glimpsed, a nightgown on underneath. Theresa approached the bed slowly, and she held her breath when she saw David was already in it.
"Don't worry, I have boxers on. You're safe from me," he said in a teasing tone of voice. 'I think,' he said to himself.
Theresa said nothing as she lifted up the edge of the covers and slipped underneath. Her thigh brushed David's, and she jerked it back. As soon as she was settled she turned over so her back was to him, and she heard him chuckle.
"Playing hard to get now, are you, sweetheart?" he murmured.
"No," said Theresa softly. "I'm not doing anything."
"That's what you think," was the reply. Ever so carefully David reached over and touched Theresa gently on the shoulder. She flinched, but he didn't stop. Instead he put his whole hand on her shoulder again, and this time she didn't move. David slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her to him.
"You smell nice," he said softly, kissing the back of her neck as he spoke.
"Thank you," she said.
He pulled back. "I see I'm not going to get anywhere tonight, am I?" he asked.
"That's right," was her reply.
"Alright then, have it your way. But be warned, Theresa. I always get what I want, sooner or later. I will have you." With that he rolled over, and was sound asleep a second later, leaving Theresa alone with her thoughts.
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Aeris slowed her Chocobo to a slower pace as Mideel came into sight. Serena and Darien slowed down to, and together they trotted over the waters.
"This is so cool!" sighed Serena happily. "I would never have thought these big yellow birds could go over water."
"Well, not all go over water," said Aeris, who slowed her Chocobo to a halt. Serena and Darien did so as well.
"First off, there's your regular yellow Chocobo. They can be found wherever Chocobo tracks are on the ground. You have to catch two yellow ones of a certain level each, and then you get either r a blue one or a green on. Then you have to go breed two yellow ones again and get the other one you didn't get. So if you got a green before, then you have to try and get a blue."
"This is so complicated!" whined Serena. Darien laughed. "Keep going Aeris," he said.
"Okay. After you get a green one and a blue one, you breed them together and you get a black one. Then you have to repeat the whole process 'til you get a black Chocobo of the opposite sex of the one you already have. Finally, you breed the two black ones together and you get a black one."
"Serena's right, this is complicated," said Darien. Aeris took one look at them and burst out laughing. "You get used to it," she said between her laughs. Finally, she calmed down.
"Why are we in Mideel?" asked Darien.
"Because this was where my Spirit returned to after Sephiroth killed me," said Aeris with a straight face. "And may I ask, please don't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you. If you did, they are mostly likely to label you as nuts, and have you put away. So could you just keep it to yourself?" asked Aeris.
Both Serena and Darien nodded. Aeris smiled, then continued.
"So after I died, I was sent to the promised Land, a place where all souls go if they were pure while on earth. So I went to the Promised Land, and there I met with another being. Some people might call him God."
"What did he say?" asked Serena eagerly.
"He told me I wasn't supposed to die yet, and asked me if I wanted to return to earth. I asked him what body I would be in, and he asked me if I wanted my original body back. I said yes, and I came back here. But that wasn't until after AVALANCHE saved the earth from Meteor. Anyways, they saved the world, and I came back almost right after. Cloud and I reunited, and we got married soon after."
"That's so sad!" said Serena, who then proceeded to cry. Darien sighed, then handed her the same handkerchief he'd handed Aeris earlier on the train.
"See, told you why I needed it," said Darien, and Aeris laughed again. Serena wiped her eyes, and looked over to Aeris. 'She'd better not get to close to him. Darien's MINE!'
Aeris slowly stopped laughing. "Let's go ashore," she said.
"Alright," said Darien and Serena together.
So they went ashore, and each held their Chocobo's reins as they walked along the beach up to Mideel.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a large monster that looked like a blue elephant appeared, and it prepared to charge the three. Aeris got ready for battle. But when she looked over to Serena and Darien, she was surprised to see that they weren't all that scared.
"Let me take care of it," said Aeris, stepping forward. She raised her hands as her guard stick floated in front of her, and then she shouted "Planet Protector!" Large yellow stars appeared around Aeris, Darien and Serena. Aeris was about to attack, but was stopped when Serena held out her hand.
"My turn," said the blonde. Aeris was confused. 'What does she mean?' thought Aeris.
Serena stepped forward, and held up the locket she wore on the front of her uniform. "Moon….Crisis…Power!" shouted the teen. Instantly bright lights appeared and swirled around Serena's body. She twirled in a circle as a uniform, boots, gloves, skirt and jewellery appeared. Finally, she stopped, struck a pose, and smiled.
"Whoa….." muttered Aeris to no one in particular.
Serena faced the monster, determination evident in her young face. She raised two fingers to her forehead and removed her tiara.
"Be careful Serena!" shouted Aeris to the Sailor Scout. "That monster is one of the more dangerous ones in this area. Mideel isn't that populated because of this reason: this area is known for its deadly monsters."
"Alright," called back Serena. Tiara in hand, she brought it back behind her, and it started to glow. "Moon…. Tiara…. Magic!" she shouted and flung her tiara at the monster.
It was a dead hit, but the monster only received a small gash from it. The tiara flew back to Serena and stopped glowing. Serena put it back on her forehead and frowned. 'Damn,' she thought. 'I guess I have no choice but to use the scepter.'
"Serena, let me help," called Darien to her. She nodded, and Darien nodded before proceeding to take a red rose out of his jacket and hold it up in the air.
'Let me guess, he's got powers too,' thought Aeris.
Darien held the rose up high, and his body started to shimmer. Aeris could just barely make out the black top hat, cape, and tuxedo that formed on Darien's body. When the lights faded, Darien was not there. Tuxedo Mask was.
"Wow, Darien," murmured Aeris.
Darien looked back over his shoulder at her, smiled, then faced the monster and stood beside Serena. She looked at him, then back at the blue elephant.
He raised his hand, and a rose formed in it. He threw it at the monster, but missed.
"Damn," he cursed aloud.
Aeris decided not to wait any longer. She'd come across one of these monsters when she was little, and thanks to her specials powers, had been able to defeat it.
She raised her arms, and her guard stick floated into the air again. Green and yellow lights appeared, then disappeared as she shouted, "Anger of the Land, Titan!"
"What the…." asked Serena as she, Darien, and Aeris faded away. They were there, but they weren't.
"What is this?" asked Darien to Aeris.
"A summon," she said. "I summoned a monster using my Materia. This one is called Titan, and its attack is called 'Anger of the Land.' Any other questions?"
Both Serena and Darien shook their heads, and watched Titan's attack unfold.
The dark skinned monster came up from underground and let out a loud roar. Then it bent down, dug its fingers into the ground and lifted up a large slab of earth that the monster was on. Then, after yelling once more, it pushed the slab so it fell over, crushing the monster. Titan disappeared, and some numbers appeared above the monster. Then the monster went red and disappeared. Aeris, Darien and Serena reappeared.
"Wow," said Serena. "You can do that?"
Aeris nodded. "So can my husband. And when the time is right, I hope to pass my materia down to my daughter. My materia was my mothers, and all I know about it is that my grandma passed it down to my mother, who then in turn passed it down to me."
"Well, shall we go to Mideel now?" asked Darien.
"Sure," said Aeris, pointing to a small town a hundred meters ahead of them. "It's over there, so let's go!"
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At Rocket Town at the rocket….
Cloud panted slightly after climbing the several flights of stairs. He'd hadn't had that much of a workout since his days in AVALANCHE. Ever since he'd married Aeris he had spent more time with his family, and less time working out. But, he thought shrugging, Aeris obviously doesn't care that much….. Cloud smirked as he walked down the platform to the rocket. The door was open, and he stepped inside.
"Who's there?" came a voice.
At first Cloud couldn't see who was speaking to him, but after his eyes adjusted, he saw that it was a middle aged man wearing goggles on his head. The man turned around, and Cloud saw that he had a cigarette in his mouth.
"Who are you?!" demanded the man again.
Cloud remembered to speak. "My name is Cloud Strife," he said. "I've come to ask for your help."
"What do you want me to do?"
"I've heard you have a ship, you call it the Highwind or something like that."
"That's its name, and if I'm going to help you, you damn well better not forget it!"
"Alright, alright, I won't. Anyways, my daughter is missing, and I was wondering if I could use your airship to try and find her."
The man thought for a moment. "Well, I don't know…. I was planning to go on a vacation in a few days…."
"Please sir," Cloud started to beg.
"My name is Cid, Cid Highwind," interrupted the man.
"Yes, well Cid, I'm begging you to let me use your airship. My daughter's life could be in danger right now. Please, let me use your airship."
Cid shook his head. "Sorry Cloud. No can do."
Cloud frowned, then turned on his heel and left the rocket without saying anything. Cid heard him stomp down the ladders and walk away from the rocket. 'Maybe I should have said yes,' thought Cid. 'After all, we are talking about his daughter's life here.'
Cid sighed, then went back to working on the rocket, but his mind wasn't on his work.
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In the motel room in Midgar….
Theresa yawned and rolled over. She froe when she rolled into David's body. Quickly she rolled back over, hoping she hadn't disturbed him.
No such luck.
David yawned loudly, then smiled and reached over to wrap his arms around Theresa, who didn't object.
"Morning, koibito," he said softly.
"Hai, good morning," she said back.
"What are we going to do today?" he asked her.
Theresa shrugged. "I left that up to you. As for me, I'm planning on going out and looking for a job today. What are you going to do?"
David sighed. "As much as I hate to say it, I guess I'd better look for a job too."
Theresa laughed, and looked at David, who said nothing.
"Well," she said, rolling out of his arms. "I'd better be getting up. Wouldn't want anyone else getting a job before me, eh?"
David protested as she left the bed, and she laughed as she made her way to the bathroom.
'How can I get her to open up to me more?' thought David to himself. His brow wrinkled in thought as he tried to think of a way to win her over.
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Aeris lead the way as she, Darien and Serena walked into the quiet town of Mideel.
"So… this is Mideel?" asked Serena as she looked around them. She no longer had her Sailor Scout uniform on, as Darien no longer had his tuxedo on.
"Yeah," said Aeris over her shoulder. "This is Mideel. Shortly AVALANCHE helped save the world, the survivors of the original Mideel helped rebuild this town."
"What do you mean, the survivors?" asked Darien.
"Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that while Meteor was bearing down on the Planet, the Lifestream, a body of energy which flows through this Planet, eroded, I guess you could say, away the foundation on which Mideel was built upon."
"And what happened next?" asked Serena, who was practically holding her breath.
"Everyone from AVALANCHE got away, everyone except Tifa and Cloud. They fell into the Lifestream. Cloud had already been in once for an extended period of time when we were up at the Northern Crater, so this time didn't help. Tifa told me after I came back that she'd had to "put Cloud back together." She said that she had to go through Cloud's memories and make him remember stuff. Then they'd come out of the Lifestream."
"Wow…" said Darien.
"Yeah," said Aeris, who had kept walking through out her speech.
The three waked through the town. Along the way, there was the occasional person who would stop and point at Aeris. Finally, one little girl ran up to Aeris, grinning.
"Hi Aeris!" she cried, a smile stretching across her face.
Aeris smiled at the child as she picked her up. "Hi Bella, it's good to see you again."
"Are you staying here?" asked the child.
Aeris shook her head. "Sorry Bella, no can do. I'm only here to pick up some supplies.
"Awwww," said the little girl. "Well, maybe next time," she said, then hopped out of Aeris' arms and ran back to her mother, who waved at Aeris. The flower girl smiled back, then motioned for Serena and Darien to follow her.
"Where are we going?" asked Serena.
"I need to get some Materia for me. My guard stick needs some new stuff for it. Then I need to grab a few items, and then we can go."
"Alright," said Darien, and they kept walking.
Finally, they arrived at the Materia shop. Aeris pushed the door, and they walked in. The house was dimly lit, but just light enough so that they could see the young woman behind the counter.
"Hello," said the woman. Suddenly, she stopped, blinked, and stared at Aeris. "By God, is that you Aeris?" she asked.
Aeris smiled and nodded. "Tis me, Aeris Gainsborough. I'm here to pick up some Materia. My guard stick needs something new."
The woman nodded frantically and motioned frantically for Aeris to come closer, which she did.
"Now, what are you looking for Aeris?" asked the woman, who's nametag read 'Rita.'
"Well Rita," said Aeris. "Do you have anything new in stock?"
Rita nodded. "As a matter of fact, we have a piece of Ultima Materia on sale. Ever since Meteor came, no one is buying it. Before Meteor came it would have been gone in less than ten seconds."
"Oh. Well, I'll take it," said Aeris brightly. Rita smiled, then reached down into the display case to bring out the Materia.
"Normally I'd charge my customer 10,000 Gil for this piece, but because you're my best customer Aeris, you can have it for 50% off. Deal?"
"I'm flattered," said Aeris, smiling. "Of course it's a deal."
So Rita brought it out of the display case it was in, and handed it over to Aeris, who equipped it. Then Aeris, Serena and Darien left. They started to walk down the road to the Materia shop, when all of a sudden Serena stopped in her tracks.
"Ooooooooooooh," she said, her eyes getting that starry look in them.
"What is it Serena?" asked Darien, dreading her answer.
"FOOD STAND!!" shouted Serena as she grabbed Darien by his jacket sleeve and dragged him over to the stand. Aeris snickered, then followed.
Serena looked the items over, and her eyes settled on a long vegetable that looked like an apple.
"Oh, an apple!" she cried, and then reached out to grab it. The man running the stand gave her a look, then said, "5 Gil please."
Aeris looked at Serena. "Serena, that's not edible for people…." She started to say, then trailed off as Serena glared at her.
"Please buy it for me Aeris, pretty pretty please?" she begged. Aeris sighed, and then paid the man. Serena grinned, then took the apple. As she bit down, Aeris looked away and pretended she wasn't with her. Darien saw this and wondered why she was doing that.
A second later, Darien knew why.
"AHHHHHHHHH!!"" screamed Serena as she dropped the "apple" and frantically tried to fan her mouth. "Hot, hot, hot, hot!' she said and tried to cool her mouth off.
Aeris chuckled, then raised her hand and said, "Water!" Instantly Serena was drenched by a wave of water that came out of nowhere. She shook her head and sputtered while Darien laughed uncontrollably.
Serena glared at Aeris while she tried to wring out her clothes. 'Great, now she's making me look bad!' she thought. 'Well, Darien is mine, and always will be! We were destined to be together, so he wouldn't dump me for this pink clad girl. Would he?'
Aeris saw the way Serena was looking at her, and she looked away. 'What is she mad at me for?' she thought. 'I didn't do anything… did I?' Suddenly, Aeris understood.
'Why, she thinks I'm going to take Darien away from her! Well, I guess I have to straighten that out, but I'll do that later.'
Aeris turned to the man in front of them, paid for a few random items, then turned to face Darien and Serena.
"We can go now," she said.
"Good," said Serena with a dark look on her face. She threw one last dark look over her shoulder at the man at the stand, then started walking. Darien smirked, then followed her. Aeris thanked the man again, then started walking after the couple.
^*^*^*^*^
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Cloud angrily kicked a rock in front of him as he walked back towards his Chocobo.
'Why couldn't he have let me borrow it?' he thought to himself. 'I need it to find Theresa. Why couldn't he understand that! Why, I would have let him come with me if he'd wanted to!'
Cloud had just reached his Chocobo and was untying its reins when a loud voice made him spin around.
"Hey Cloud!" called the person. Cloud looked, then cheered up slightly when he saw who it was.
"Hey, I said wait up Cloud!" called Cid. He stopped in front of Cloud, and bent over with his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath.
"Hold…. on….." he panted.
Cloud grinned. "Take your time. What did you want to tell me?"
Cid straightened up, and looked Cloud in the eye. "I felt bad after I told you that you couldn't use the Highwind to find your daughter. So, I've come to tell you….."
"Yes?" asked Cloud impatiently.
"That you can use the Highwind to find Theresa," finished up Cid.
Cloud paused as he let Cid's words sink in. Then, it hit him all at once, and he broke out into a grin. "Thanks Cid!" said Cloud as he reached over and slapped Cid hard on the back. Cid coughed, and his cigarette almost fell out of his mouth. But he recovered and grinned at Cloud.
"Glad it makes you so happy," he said.
"Cid, you can come if you want, of course," offered Cloud.
Cid smiled, then nodded. "Alright, I will."
Cloud looked to his Chocobo. "But, where will I put my Chocobo?" he asked.
"There's a room in my Highwind for Chocobos. You can put him there. Come on, we had better get going." He started off, and Cloud untied his Chocobo and followed him.
^*^*^*^*^
^*^*^*^*^
Theresa looked up and down the street as she crossed it. David was at her side, and as they walked he linked his arm through hers. Theresa smiled as they headed towards the unemployment agency and entered the building.
Once inside, David headed for the front counter.
"Hello, to whom can I talk to get my girl and I a job?" he asked. Theresa blushed bright red at his words, but David didn't notice.
"Yes sir," said the woman at the counter. "You can go right down the hall, where one of our personnel will help you." She pointed down the hall. "It's the last room on the right, the one with the door slightly open."
"Thank you," said David. Then he grabbed her hand, squeezed it, and they started off down the hall to the room the woman had mentioned.
Theresa went in first, and David followed her. All that was inside the room was two chairs and a desk. Theresa sat down nervously, and David sat in the chair next to hers. The door was only open for a few seconds before another woman came in and closed the door behind her.
"Well now, you two are looking for a job?" she asked.
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Well, that's it for now! I'll try to continue it soon, so look for it!
~Peace~
Nicky